The 18th July 2010 marks the 5th anniversary of the death of our precious daughter Amy.

It is hard to believe that 5 years have passed since that tragic day in Germany when Amy was killed by an 18 year old German driver and her 5 team mates were so seriously injured.

Inattention and inexperience on the part of the driver were the two key factors in Amy’s death and sadly they are still the reasons for so many deaths on our roads here in Australia.

As Amy’s parents our condolences go out to all people who are left to deal with the pain, grief and loss as the aftermath of road crashes.

These days Amy is constantly in our heads and our hearts as we try to balance the sorrow of our loss with the absolute joy she bought into our lives for 29 years.

Everyday, we reflect on all that her life meant to us.

Thanks to Simon (Amy’s husband) and Cycling Australia, for the formation of The Amy Gillett Foundation which has given us a new focus and a way forward as we deal with our grief which is of course a never ending journey, not just for ourselves but for so many others.

We want to sincerely thank all people who have been associated with the Foundation since its beginning: the Patrons, Board Members, CEOs, office staff, Club 500 members, sponsors, Amy’s Ride participants and all the people who log on to Facebook  with comments and information. THANKYOU!!

What comes through so clearly is the passion and commitment to make a difference as well as trying to reduce the incidence of death and injury caused by the interaction between cyclists and motorists.

We are heartened by what the Foundation has achieved in the last 5 years, but we are still seeing cyclists killed and injured on our roads so we need to gather momentum and keep moving forward, raising awareness and changing attitudes as we do so.

One simple thing we can all do is to be aware of our own cycling and driving behaviours, and try to be a role model whilst on our bikes or in our cars.

Our children, our nation’s future road users, are  “sponges” quietly observing what we do and say. We all can play our part in leading by example. It doesn’t cost anything and it’s something we can all do with care and consideration, after all “Road Safety is Everybody’s Responsibility”.

Earlier this year, through a series of circumstances we were able to take possession of Amy’s first road bike. She had bought this bike in America, just after she had competed as a rower in the Atlanta Olympics.

Now thanks to some generous people it has been “revamped” with a new seat and pedals along with “pink” handle bar tape.



As Amy’s mum, my first ride on it was a very emotional affair and it felt like a part of Amy had “come home”.

A special thanks to all concerned who had the sensitivity to realize what this meant to us as Amy’s parents.

Now both Denis and I look forward with passion and optimism to the future of this amazing Foundation and what we can all achieve by working together.

And to our precious Amy…..may you always be riding the rainbows.

Held in our hearts forever………Denis and Mary Safe.

Tribute site for Amy