Follow An Epic Journey to Raise Kidney Awareness in 'Worldriderz'

Motorbike-mad Stephane Etienne is a man on a mission. Combining his enthusiasm for motorcycles with a very personal reason – his newborn son has malfunctioning kidneys – Stephane is embarking on an epic motorcycle journey from Sydney to Paris to raise awareness on chronic kidney disease, in TLC's six-part series WORLDRIDERZ. Joining him is his friend Paul Torriero. Along the way, the duo will take their awareness-building project over a course of 30,000 kilometres, visiting children's hospitals to determine their most immediate needs and establishing links to set up a web-based information-sharing network. Follow the inspiring and heart-warming journey of the WORLDRIDERZ when the series premieres every Thursday at 9:00 p.m., beginning March 22 on TLC. Encores the following Thursdays at 3:00 p.m.

When Stephane Etienne learnt that his son Ilhan was born with a chronic kidney condition, he did not sit still. Grappling with his son's critical condition, Stephane discovered that there is little research into chronic kidney disease. So he was determined to do something about it. Stephan devised a plan to traverse the globe with his good friend and partner, Paul Torriero, to raise awareness on kidney disease. WORLDRIDERZ follows the pair as they make their way across Australia, Malaysia, India, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Italy and Paris over four gruelling months. With no support team, everything they need is loaded onto their KTM 990 adventure tour bikes. 

Along their journey, Stephane and Paul meet the local medical community in the cities they visit, and get to know the on-ground realities of how people are coping with kidney problems in these places. Assessing these issues, the duo then lend a hand by putting the local medical professionals in touch with kidney specialists in Sydney so that knowledge can be shared or, by providing services for more pressing problems via sponsors linked to the WORLDRIDERZ project. 

Stephane and Paul's adventures for a good cause take them through diverse cultures and breath-taking landscapes. Whether they are taking a break at a waterfall in Malaysia or marvelling at the grandeur and expanse of the African desert, Stephane and Paul make the best of the down-time they get. They even get a private audience with His Holiness, the Dalai Lama in Dharamshala. However, their experiences are not always positive – Egypt and Tunisia end up being particularly difficult places where one of their bikes mysteriously disappears for some time!

From heat exhaustion and fatigue to vehicle wear-and-tear to changes in plans due to unforeseen problems, the WORLDRIDERZ's cross-continent journey is dotted with countless emotional experiences and challenges. But their hopes are always rejuvenated by the warmth and hospitality of the many faces they meet along their way, motivating the men to keep at their mission. 

This March, join Stephane and Paul as they ride for a mission close to their hearts in TLC's WORLDRIDERZ.