MEET THE TEAM
For some crazy reason and probably whilst sharing a few bottles of prosecco (isn't that how all great plans start?) we decided to cycle from London to Paris. This seemed perfectly feasible in our bubble filled state of mind – even the fact that 2 of us didn’t even own a bike seemed a minor detail.
So the next day as we sipped some water and sunk the paracetamol, we re-read our WhatsApp messages which confirmed it wasn’t a drunken dream and it was a real challenge we were going to embark on!
Introducing the ladies...
Four friends from Cheltenham we are all in our 30’s – admittedly very different ends of the 30's spectrum, in fact Emily is turning 30 this year and I believe this is where the conversation started from! Friends for many years, we are all mums with children ranging from 10 weeks to 13 years, and we want to do something that will challenge us in a way that work or parenting doesn’t. A sense of adventure is calling us and we hope to raise lots of money for a great cause along the way.
And then there’s the brave boy...
Dom is the real cyclist of the group with a Strava account the others would die for. Having completed RideLondon last year, he’s keen to go a step further and complete the London to Paris challenge.
A little more detail about us:
Emily: The baby of the group, Emily turns 30 just one week before our challenge – so what a way to mark her birthday and celebrate in style. A mum of 3 babies, Emily is using this challenge as a rather drastic post-pregnancy work out after giving birth to Finley last November.
Cycling Experience: With probably the most experience of the ladies, Emily has participated in a few cycling challenges with her colleagues at SuperDry and enjoys going out for rides at weekends for some quiet time away from the kids.
Steph: Steph is the fervent one of the team and sometimes needs to be brought back down to earth a little. She has a 2 year old girl and wants to do something this year that puts her totally out of comfort zone. Steph has converted her home garage into a gym for the team to do some of our training sessions during the colder months.
Cycling Experience: Ummmmm NONE, literally none. A bike has been purchased and that is as much as there is to say on this part.
Rach: The mother hen of the group, Rach is the one who organises the rest of us and makes sure we are training and actually have a hope of surviving this challenge. Mum of 2 babies who are 4 and 2, both these little cherubs are active ones and enjoy heading off to the gym with mum, so they will be making sure she doesn’t miss a spin class!
Cycling History: Rachel probably has a similar amount of experience to Emily – in that she actually owns a bike and goes out on it. Rachel loves sport and fitness and is a keen netball player. With a highly competitive edge we suspect that she's already emailed the organisers to see if there is a yellow jersey handed out at the end of each day.
Kate: The grown up of the group, she’ll sort out any issues we have and keep everyone on track. With a 13, 7 and 2 year old Kate keeps fit running around about them all. Slightly conned into the challenge by Rach saying it’ll be just like a long spin class, she is secretly the one to watch.
Cycling History: Pretty minimal but she’s off to buy a bike which is a good start. A keen spinner at the gym, fitness won’t be an issue for Kate as she attends the gym as a warm up/cool down before a netball match. She’s incredibly determined and strong, so will eat the miles up.
Dom: Well, Dom’s never needed an excuse to go out with a group of ladies, however missing his wife’s birthday as he cycles into Paris may not go down too well. Father to 3 boys he enjoys cycling with at least one of the boys by his side.
Cycling History: Dom is our Pro of the group, regularly heading out around the county and beyond to train and compete. Last year he completed the 100-mile RideLondon event.
Then there is our additional member of the group – Jenna! She’s our motivator, like the Cox in a rowing boat Jenna will be riding alongside us during our training and shouting orders at us during our gym sessions. Jenna was due to take part in the London to Paris cycle ride last year but unfortunately had to pull out. Unable to get the time off work this year she won’t be joining us for the challenge itself but you'll see her face at our money raising events. Hoping to fly out and stand under the Eifel Tower with a banner 5 well-earned glasses of Prosecco we fully think of Jenna as part of our team!
Partir en voyage!