Matthew Oliveira was speeding along at 25mph when he somehow crashed into a closed gate.

He suffered severe bruising and minor internal bleeding in the fall, but insisted on getting back on his bike.

He was, after all, in the middle of a race for charity.

“I had to go to the hospital afterward,” the 16-year-old said. “At least I got to stay home from school the next day!”

The accident occurred during his efforts to raise money for Family Centre last year. The teenager has raised close to $5,000 for the charity through its annual fundraising race, Cycle for Change.

He plans to take part in the next race on February 7, and has already raised $2,000 for it.

“I’m not finished yet, though,” he said. “I raise the money by asking my neighbours, friends and family members for pledges. When I tell them about Family Centre, they are only too happy to help.”

He started cycling only five years ago. “I felt a tremendous sense of freedom,” he said. “I could just get on my bike and go wherever I wanted and I wasn’t even 16. I didn’t have to wait for my parents to take me somewhere.”

He was introduced to the sport by his neighbour, Hans Hirschi, organiser of the Fat Tire Massive mountain biking group that helps arrange Cycle for Change.

“I was about 12 when I helped Chris Roque, of Fat Tire Massive, set up the Cycle for Change course,” said Matthew. “It’s quite a long course with lots of twists and turns. The hardest part is near the finish line in Ferry Reach, which is quite a hilly area.”

The race has a short course for families and a longer course for more experienced riders; Matthew was one of the few children to opt for the long route, from Dockyard to Ferry Reach.

The experience helped prepare him for future races.

Last summer he competed in the Caribbean Cycling Championships in the Dominican Republic.

“This was my proudest cycling moment,” he said, “because it was the first time I got to represent Bermuda.” His competitors were 50 of the best 15- and 16-year-old cyclists in the region. “A lot of the boys I was up against were older than me, as I was 15 at the time,” he said. “Many of them were older, taller and stronger.”

He won two silver medals.

“In the first race, I came second by only a few seconds,” he said. “In the second race, me and another boy from Trinidad and Tobago pulled ahead of the pack. We had a hard sprint at the end.”

He dreams of designing a new racing bike one day.

“I’m not really good at drawing so I haven’t really sketched any yet,” he said. “I’m a numbers man. I’d be good at figuring out the optimum angles the bike needed for racing.”

After school he works for Winner’s Edge helping with bicycle mechanics and doing customer service.

Last year, he donated a BMX bicycle to Family Centre.

“I volunteered in the Police Gymkhana, an event that involves a cycling race for young children,” he said. “I helped the children pump their tyres and do minor repairs.

“At the end, the organisers gave me a gift certificate to purchase a bike, as a thank you.”

He asked the charity if they knew of a child who could use a new bike.

“They said they knew of exactly the child,” he said. “He was having some problems and had a birthday coming up. I have no idea who the child was, but it felt good to donate the bike.”

Cycle for Change aims for wellness through exercise and encourages families to spend time together.

The 2016 cycle route passes over Bailey’s Bay Bridge and a stretch of the Railway Trail through Crawl.

The shorter race leaves from the Arboretum at 10am; the elite race starts at 9.30am in front of the Clocktower Mall in Dockyard.

Entry is $25 per person in advance or $30 on the event day.

For entry and pledge forms visit www.tfc.bm/event/cycle-for-change, e-mail cycle@selectsitesgroup.com or call 232-1116.