Fernando de Andrade was once homeless, living on the streets of the eighth largest city in the world, São Paulo, Brazil. He participated in the Race to the Rock, cycling over 3,000 km from Albany, Western Australia, to Uluru in the Northern Territory, to raise funds to help young people living on the streets in Brazil, homeless like he used to be.
Fernando’s journey from the streets of São Paulo to his new life in Australia has been long, filled with struggles and sacrifices. He used his creative talent to make jewelry from things he found on the street; his only income came from selling these pieces. The kindness of strangers who recognized his talent gave him hope. He found love and followed his heart to a new country and a new life.
The rest is history. This soft-spoken young man who established a thriving jewelry business in Australia, and lives a life that many only dream of, never forgot his humble beginnings. He overcame so many challenges, none as great as surviving on the streets of São Paulo. In an effort to ensure that other young people living on the streets in Brazil know that there is hope, that people care and are willing to extend a hand of friendship; he took on another challenge: a 3,000 km bike ride through some of the most adverse conditions in Australia to raise awareness about the situation of these young people in Brazil, and to raise money to make their lives a little easier.
Presidential Productions teamed up with Fernando to produce a documentary about his journey called Fernando’s Ride. The documentary not only tells his story but also followed his bike ride.