The London to Paris bike ride

In support of raising money for Great Ormond’s Street children’s hospital in London I signed up for the London-Paris bike ride in 2007. 

First challenge was actually buying a bike as I didn’t have one and it seemed rather necessary for this type of event. 

That done I then held an event to raise the required £1,000 for the charity and started my training. Feeling ready for the ride I was in my last few weeks of training when I got knocked off my bike. It was the classic accident of someone opening their car door in front of me sending me elbow first onto the road. I was lucky that there was no traffic on the road in that it meant the accident was not fatal but it did also mean that there was no noise to drown out my atrocious language as I hit the ground. My bike survived without a scratch but my elbow was broken in two places. 

Sadly missing the ride that summer I underwent two operations to repair my arm which actually left me looking a little like a Ken doll as my arm was firmly stuck at a 90 degree angle post cast. After months of intense physio to make me “straight” again I signed back up to the ride and completed it in the summer of 2008. 

A few weeks prior to setting off I was getting a little nervous and rang the organisers to express my worry that the rest of the group would be much fitter than myself and thus leave me for dust. They assured me that within a few miles of setting off I would find someone in the group that would be of my fitness level and would be my cycle buddy for the rest of the trip. 

This transpired to be entirely true and despite Belinda being at least 20 years my senior I just enjoyed each day and was not worried that the two of us were the final two to reach the hotel in the evening; after all someone needs to be last! 

Upon reaching the Arc de Triomphe I started to feel very pleased with myself that I had finally made it to Paris and the last few miles to go were filled with adrenaline and butterflies in my tummy (particularly as we cycled around the most crazy roundabout on Earth circumnavigating the Arc de Triomphe.)

Reaching the finish point I saw my Mum and Dad under the Eiffel Tower and knew I had made it. It is the only time I have ever reached a finish line and actually had tears. I think it was the joy of finishing my biggest event to date and the fact it had been one and half years in the making due to the accident.

It’s an amazing challenge and I encourage you all to take part one day.