First, there was the pair that I hooked up with on Friday night. I 'met' Zoe and Shara during the build up to the Ride the Night cycle last year. We 'met' on a Facebook group for the event and, before Friday, I'd only ever met them in person once (very briefly at Windsor Racecourse before the Ride started). However, anyone passing us by as we whooped and hugged in the middle of City Airport's arrivals lounge would've thought that we were long lost close and crazy old friends! We hit it off just as much in real life as we had done online; we had a blast, from the minute we met at the airport till the minute Shara dropped me off at my daughter's flat on Sunday. Social media gets a lot of bad press (much of it well deserved), but it does have its plus points - and we three are proof in the pudding that real - and special - friendships can indeed form on Facebook!
Next, there was the two hundred fellow women cyclists and speakers at Saturday's Cycle Africa Information Day. Even though I signed up for the Women V Cancer challenge to cycle across Tanzania months ago, I think it only hit me on Saturday just how 'big' an event this is going to be in my life.
Inspirational speeches from representatives of the charities that we're supporting; inspirational presentations from women who've been helped by the charities which reinforced my determination to keep on raising awareness and funds for Ovarian Cancer Action, Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust and Breast Cancer Care; inspirational and informative presentations from the organisers and Tour Manager (they even managed to convince me that camping will be fun...); inspirational and motivational talks from women who've participated in previous Action for Charity cycling events... I was, you'll have gathered, well and truly inspired! I was asked to read out a poem from my wee book and, even though I've read it many times at other events, it was such an emotional moment for me.
It was a special day, and I'm guessing that I'll always think of it as the start proper of my
Cycle Tanzania journey.
Inspirational speeches from representatives of the charities that we're supporting; inspirational presentations from women who've been helped by the charities which reinforced my determination to keep on raising awareness and funds for Ovarian Cancer Action, Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust and Breast Cancer Care; inspirational and informative presentations from the organisers and Tour Manager (they even managed to convince me that camping will be fun...); inspirational and motivational talks from women who've participated in previous Action for Charity cycling events... I was, you'll have gathered, well and truly inspired! I was asked to read out a poem from my wee book and, even though I've read it many times at other events, it was such an emotional moment for me.
It was a special day, and I'm guessing that I'll always think of it as the start proper of my
Cycle Tanzania journey.
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| Yours truly trying to inspire... |
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| I'm almost starting to believe this might just be so... |
Lastly, there was my daughter Gemma. What a joy it was to spend a leisurely Sunday afternoon with her and be reminded how settled she is in London. We didn't stop blethering - over lunch, during our lovely stroll around Greenwich Park, and over coffee and cake - till it was time for me to head to the airport and home. Gemma makes me so very proud with her attitude to life. Ever since she was a little girl she's loved learning, looking for new opportunities, stretching herself, making the best of things, throwing herself into everything she does with passion, taking responsibility for rejections or 'mistakes' and using those experiences to move forward with renewed vigour and determination - basically, always being up for feeling the fear and doing it anyway! You know, I consider it an important part of a parent's job to inspire and motivate their children, and I've always felt a great sense of satisfaction and pleasure when I've been able to do that for any of my kids. But, that sense of satisfaction and pleasure is nothing compared to the feeling I get when one of my, now adult, children inspires and motivates me. And Gemma did that by the bucket load during our Sunday stroll.
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| The young and the old in Greenwich Park, beautiful together... |
So, I headed off to the airport feeling very tired, but very grateful for all of the fantastic and inspiring women in my life - not just down in London, but also at home, and beyond. And, with a very strong feeling that the ten month journey to Tanzania - and the trip itself - is going to be about so much more than just the cycling.
I guess, then, that there might be a fair few more Stories from the Saddle to come that aren't actually from the saddle! Hopefully though, you'll still tag along - and enjoy the ride...!
p.s. I should mention that two of the wonderful speakers at the information day were men, with one of them being the son of Jo Maxwell - the woman who inspired her family to set up Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust...
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