Why I love being part of Breeze
Why I love being part of Breeze!
Our son learned to ride a bike early in Hong Kong where we were both teachers. We took advantage of our location by exploring Asia. Jack was 5 years old when we signed up for our first cycling holiday with ‘Spiceroads’, a cycle tour company based in Thailand. It was a 5 day cycling/multi activity trip aimed at families. We were in our element and from then on we were hooked on family cycling holidays! As Jack got older, our holidays in various parts of Asia became more adventurous.
Then, 3 years later, Perthes came into our lives, all Jack’s physical activity had to stop and he was wheelchair-bound. I was lost.
Little did I know, that hand cycling was a thing. I had never heard nor seen it before but the minute the word ‘hand cycle’ had left Jack’s surgeon’s lips, I was obsessed.
4 months later, I finally sourced one direct from Pro-Activ in Germany. We could cycle again as a family. We set up a charity called “Pedal through Perthes’ and raised over £5000 by fundraising with a lot of help and support from friends. We decided to travel back to the UK the ‘long way home’ for 6 months and the final leg was to handcycle across Austria by following the Danube. 12 days and 300km later, we completed Passau to Vienna. On that trip, a lot of thinking and self-contemplation took place, and I knew that cycling must be part of our lives on our return to Edinburgh.
Not long after we arrived in Edinburgh, I saw an advert for a ‘charity sign up’ event and went along. I saw the ‘Breeze’ stand and chatted to Pauline Capaldi and Mel Toner. It seems I just missed the next training course to be a Ride Leader but these two women were positive, enthusiastic and clearly believed in the programme. It felt right and I wanted to be part of it. A few days later, I received an email that someone had dropped out and there was a space available.
Diana
Diana Farrell was our tutor and clearly loves what she does. I remember her positive energy and clear love of cycling. Diana rides a cargo bike and takes her kids to school in it. Totally committed to the cause, she rides it in all weathers, even with winter tyres. Diana is an example of someone who loves the sport of cycling and is experienced and knowledgable. She not only ‘talks the talk, but walk the walk’.
She has completed many sportives, including Lands End to John O’ Groats. She raced Time Trials, Criteriums and Road Races. Diana understands everything that is cycling. What struck me was that she has a passion for not just wanting to help others to ride bikes, but to teach them how to ride bikes well. Her coaching through her company; ‘Active Cycle Coaching’ involves road cycling skills to clubs and individuals for any rider wishing to improve their race skills and other invaluable coaching. Diana is unique because she effortlessly covers the broad range of the cycling world. She leads Breeze rides for women who may have only recently began to cycle through to coaching experienced riders who race, and relish the competition. Diana eloquently takes us on a thought-provoking journey on her blog, www.mummysgoneacycle.com which approaches subjects from organising a ‘School bike bus’ to challenging issues that women face within the elite world of cycling. I feel privileged to have met Diana, and my cycling venture started with Diana’s tutorship way back in October 2018 when she trained me to become a Ride Leader for Breeze. Thank you Diana, for being such a positive roll model in cycling.
Pauline
Diana set us up! She put us in touch with each other as she (quite rightly!) thought we’d be a good match to co-lead Breeze rides together. Pauline is everything you want in a ride leader. Warm, encouraging, inclusive and fun! I have co-led with Pauline on some of her rides and it was a joy! Everyone was having fun, felt safe, trusted her and they come back! All of Pauline’s rides, within minutes of going up on the ‘Let’s ride website’ are fully booked! Pauline has the unique ability to make someone believe ‘they can’. She, herself, has complete numerous long and challenging sportives, and is not afraid to do these by herself, most recently, the Caledonian Etap. (Covid has paused her plans for 2020.) She has given her time to lead over 100 rides for Breeze and goes above and beyond her volunteering duties whilst working full time. Pauline encouraged a number of Breeze participants to give ‘Pedal for Scotland 50 miles’ a go - and they did! This is what women’s inclusive sport is all about - encouraging, supporting and believing in each other no matter age, experience, type of bike etc… just hearing from someone else, that ‘you can do it’ is sometimes, all that is needed. Thank you Pauline for making such a huge difference to women who enjoy cycling.
Barbara
Barbara is a dedicated and committed participant of Breeze. She is someone who needs to ride her bike and cycles in all weathers, to a variety of locations in both groups and by herself. Why I am focusing on Barbara, is her strength of character. She is physically and mentally strong; she powers up hills no problem and her strength of mind impresses me. She wants to challenge herself. Barbara came on some of my cycle tours with A wee pedal and what sticks in my mind is Barbara beams when riding her bike. The smile on her face literally goes from ear to ear! She quite simply, loves her bike! I am sure of this because of a recent incident where she had a fairly big mechanical issue when she was out alone. When she brought the bike to me to look at, she left me reflecting all evening on something she said. “People said I should get a new bike, but I don’t want to, it’s got too many memories for me, like Pedal for Scotland all the Breeze rides and our cycles this summer”. This really made me think. Barbara’s bike is an extension of herself. It has become part of her and I love this! Her bike represents friendships, freedom, contentment, memories, self-set challenges, overcoming loss and reflects her sense of adventure. I hope her bike lasts forever!
I asked her a few questions:
Why do you cycle?
Cycling to me is a great head clearer, particularly during lockdown. When cycling you can’t really think about much else -too many potholes in Edinburgh roads to concentrate on. My lockdown cycling allowed me to cycle a great deal and allowed me to raise money for the NHS and Dementia UK. As keen as I was to return to work in some way, I missed cycling so much.
When did you start cycling?
I’ve always enjoyed cycling but there have been very long gaps at times when I just haven’t. In 2018 my daughter encouraged me to get back on my bike-only problem was I didn’t have one. A friend’s husband who happened to be my car mechanic donated one to me and I joined a Breeze ride and that was the start of it. I loved these rides but it was only supposed to be an occasional cycle ride. The encouragement and friendship I received inspired me to, 1) buy a new bike and 2) take part in Pedal for Scotland in 2018. I took part in this challenge in 2012 but after a lot more training and time, my effort in 2018 was a lot easier. In 2019 I took part in Ride the Night - 60 miles through Edinburgh starting and finishing at Queen Margaret university and the last ever Pedal for Scotland.Towards the end of last year I signed up for the Celtic Challenge which is 200 miles Edinburgh to Iona.
Up to lockdown, my training was going really well and then much to everyone’s disappointment the challenge was cancelled due to Coivid. This has now to be rearranged for next year and I am so much looking forward to it —four days of non-stop cycling (staying at B&Bs along the way) and raising money for St Columba’s Hospice- an organisation which is very close to my heart. I have a friend from uni who lives up there so I am looking forward to seeing her.
What inspires you to cycle?
A couple of months ago I took part in a cycling maintenance course with Leanne from A wee pedal, which I would encourage anyone to do. I’m not exactly a bike mechanic now but have a better understanding of my bike. I’ve not actually had to repair a puncture since but perhaps now not so worried about it. One thing I have learned during lockdown and the subsequent months is that other cyclists are more than happy to help if you get into difficulties. I managed to pretty well knacker (or so I thought) my bike a while back but got some help from a saint of a passerby. We left it here overnight, and to my surprise, it was still there next morning!