12:00noon: Online ZOOM meeting. email us to join.
Apr 08, 2021 12:00 PM
Dieter Schneider - Soultrip around the World
12:00noon: Online ZOOM meeting. email us to join.

Dieter Schneider is a German Rotarian and IFMR member (International Fellowship of Motorcycling Rotarians). Following the death of his son from depression, Dieter funneled his grief into building awareness. From June 2018 to early 2020, he travelled around the world on his motorcycle sharing his story and raising awareness of depression and suicide.

Dieter writes:-

A year after my son took his own life after suffering from severe depression, I set off on a motorcycle to Cape Town, South Africa. The trip through East Africa was both a time to process trauma and fulfill a desire for adventure. My encounters with interesting people and my experiences on this fascinating continent healed my inner turmoil. When I arrived at the Cape of Good Hope, I made a life-changing decision.

I wanted to get involved in mental health and suicide prevention. My club, the Rotary Club of Würzburg, Germany, supported me in a project that I called “Fellows Ride.” In June 2018, I started a ride around the world on a BMW 800 GS motorcycle. Even though I was driven by wanderlust and a thirst for adventure, this time I also had a mission. I wanted to shift attention off of myself and build awareness for the insidious disease of depression. 

See: Motorcycle ride raises awareness of depression | Rotary Voices