By Callum Ludwig
The cycling community around the Yarra Ranges have banded together to support the family of one of their own.
Much-loved father, cyclist, inventor and Warburton resident Sam Knight died unexpectedly two weeks ago, leaving behind his partner and young daughter.
Yarra Valley Cycles, somewhere Sam frequented often, held a ‘Sell it for Sam’ donation drive on Friday 29 September, with all money raised donated to the GoFundMe set up for Sam’s family.
Co-owner and Director of Yarra Valley Cycles Ash Swann said Sam had a large involvement in helping build the displays in their store.
“His speciality was working with plywood, including making his Jigsaw Jumps up in Warburton, we used his skills to help us build some of our areas with light boxes and different signage around the place as well, because we wanted that look,” he said.
“He was here a lot. Over the period as we were starting to open, he was here nearly every week helping us out. He was wonderful in that respect.”
Sam was the smiling face of his popular Jigsaw Jumps, a range of portable bike ramps he designed and that was a staple of biking events and backyards across the Yarra Ranges.
Mr Swann said when the Yarra Valley Cycles team saw the GoFundMe page come up, it hit home pretty hard.
“Both Alex and myself have got young children and for a little girl to grow up knowing that she hasn’t got her daddy, is shit, so we just wanted to get behind supporting them,” he said.
“We’ve got an industry here where they’ve donated thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars worth of gear, you only have to put a call out and the donations came flooding in which was pretty impressive.”
Yarra Valley Cycles’ Sell it for Sam event raised over $11,000 with more still to come from some more expensive items they hope to sell over the coming weeks.
Mr Swann said that while Sam took his product along to bike events as a promotion for his business, he also brought a lot of joy to a lot of kids out there.
“He created a product which was going to be something that brought kids outside and to have fun, particularly during Covid so he created a lot of joy in that respect,” he said.
“He’s touched a lot of families, people were locked down at home without being able to ride their bike and he created a product which was going to be something that brought kids outside and to have fun.”
At the Tuesday 26 September Yarra Ranges Council meeting, Mayor Jim Child said they were completely devastated and heartbroken to have received the news.
Sam often operated his business out of the Yarra Ranges Enterprise Centre (YREC) in Warburton and owner Alison Fitzgerald said he was an inventor, an innovator, and an entrepreneur.
“As Sam developed relationships and gained respect and loyalty, he identified opportunities to not just promote his product but provide experiences in the form of events especially for kids, councils, scout groups and schools. He would share the sheer joy of these events with his colleagues in the village – with an infectious smile and in his humble way. It wasn’t just the kids having fun,” she said in a tribute.
“He quickly integrated himself into our village, the local community and the broader
mountain bike industry,”
“YREC Directors, staff, and other small business tenants feel extremely privileged to have known and worked with this gentle-natured and modest young man – you became part of our YREC family Sam and you will be greatly missed.”
The Yarra Ranges Mountain Bikers group were also hit hard by the loss of Sam.
Vice President Jim Bubbers, a good friend of Sam, said through Jigsaw Jumps Sam built to legions of fans who were thrilled by the joy of sending a bike skywards off of one of his portable jumps.
“The outpouring of grief and support from the local community, the mountain biking community and the bike industry is because of who Sam is even more so than what he created,” he said.
“Sam was a generous, patient, supportive and caring friend and we will miss him dearly.”
Anyone who wishes to financially support Sam’s family can do so at gofund.me/b003b0c7
Sam’s partner Vicky was contacted for comment.
