Press Release

Voodoo Ride Charity Project - We Ride for Those Who Can't


Tanja Hendrysiak and myself (Helene Fruhwirthset) set up the “Voodoo Ride” project in the beginning of 2014. I got the idea when I was lying in the hospital and hoping everything will turn out well. A large cerebral cavernoma, blood vessel malformation, was found in my brain during a routine check after a MTB crash. In this time many thoughts were crossing me mind: Will I survive? Was it the right decision? Can I live with a disability? Do I want live with this? I also wrote my will at this time just in case. Maybe it sounds all very overacted but I felt like that and no injury in my life so far had made me thinking this way. I was so scared to be physical and mentally handicapped and not be able to live my life as before. I wanted to give something back to those who are not so lucky – like those committed to a wheelchair. I take my hat off to those who have to live through this everyday (all kind of diseases).


Because I can write this and we made this movie and tombolo you can see everything turned out perfect, and now it is time to give something back. After the shooting I met Illek Wolfgang from Wings for Life, the spinal research foundation and interviewed him.


Since Wolfgang’s crash during his training for the Downhill World Cup at Schladming in 2004, he has been paralyzed from the shoulders down. It was not a spectacular crash, but a quite common one - over the handlebars. But it was enough to put him into a wheelchair and to completely turn his life upside down.


"Right after the crash, there is nothing like before. I communicated merely with my eyes and after 13 months of hospital and rehabilitation, I could go back to my family and friends for the first time. Back home I realized that there were a lot of barriers and obstacles and it was hard for me to depend so much on the help of others. 'Please' and 'thank you‘ became part of my daily standard vocabulary.“
~ Wolfgang Illek

Despite this cruel blow of fate, Wolfgang doesn’t let himself down. As an athlete he is used to fighting his way through. He finished his studies, continues to exercise consequently and now works as project manager for Wings For Life.



"I am very proud to be a part of Wings For Life. This foundation for spinal cord research has the goal to find a cure for spinal cord injuries. In order to achieve that, we support the most promising research projects all over the world. The question is not whether effective treatments and cures will be found, but when they will be found.

"We have great support from the field of sports, for example from Sebastian Vettel and many more. But it cannot be enough - we have not yet reached our goal. We are happy about all the support we can get and with Helene’s and Tanja‘s "Voodoo Ride Project“ you can see, that everyone is able to contribute a part. Small donations are important." ~ Wolfgang Illek



"This video project was something new for us and we didn't know how it will turn out. But we knew from the beginning that we want to make something unique and something with a charity background. Because it's not just a normal riding movie, we put a lot of effort in it. It has a interesting story, a good story line, dialogs, many different actors, we chose a different way to represent our sponsors and I can say we are very satisfied with the outcome."
~Tanja Hendrysiak



This is the original Voodoo bike from the movie, which you can win after the 10th of December. I will meet Wolfgang again, and he will be the lucky fee and pick someone. Donate and you could win this bike.

A Merida Sixty Enduro Bike with the new MATTOC Manitou fork, Hayes Prime brakes, Acros head set, Shimano XTR and XT parts, Sun Ringle Pro Charger Wheels, Maxxis Tires, and Answer handlebar and grips. You just have to donate and you take automatic part in the charity tombola for Wings for Life. Wings for Life guarantees that 100% of the donations will go towards cutting-edge spinal cord research projects. The same applies to the proceeds generated through this "Voodoo Ride“ bike tombola.



If you don't have a credit card or PayPal you can also donate via a bank transfer.

IBAN: AT27 1953 0001 0001 1911 BIC: SPAEAT2S Wings for Life - Spinal cord research foundation) ad the word VOODOO RIDE and your email address.


Click here and donate now.


The amount doesn't matter you will take automatically part in the "Voodoo Ride“ bike tombola and everyone can win. The tombola ends on the 10th of December 2014 and the bike will be shipped worldwide. The winner will have it before XMAS. The winner will be announced on Facebook and will also get an email.



Wings for Life will give all your details and email address only to Tanja and me so that Wolfgang can pick a winner.

The goal is 5000 Euros and we have 1200 so far. Help them to help others getting their life’s back.


For all further information about the project "Voodoo Ride“ please go to www.facebook.com/werideforthosewhocant.



We want to say thanks to the Sponsors who helped us to finance this movie. Thanks to Tim from the Hayes Group (Manitou, Answer, Sun Ringle, Hayes), Merida, Erwin from Acros, Basti from Ion, Denise from Iriedaily, Mike from Maxxis and Axl from Shimano.

Also thanks to all the actors and voluntary background actors, Birgit Rohatsch, the video maker Gianlucca Ricceri and the photographer Jorge Matreno.


Watch our movie, donate, and win a mountain bike!

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