Anna took on Refugee Routes as a new cyclist and refugee rights supporter, keen to tackle the 301 miles target in 10 days. Read on to see how she got on…
I first came across The Bike Project when my boyfriend sent me their profile on Instagram. He works for Rapha so is deep in the cycling world, and he was very enthusiastic about their work in both London where we live, and Birmingham.
I feel very drawn to anything that supports displaced people, be them on the road or here in the UK so have done a few charity challenges before, such as the Ration Challenge and Miles for Refugees. I was overjoyed to see The Bike Project was fundraising in similar ways but of course with bikes involved.
I’m no cyclist, but thought all the more reason to do one of the charity’s Refugee Routes and hopefully have lots of people feel sorry for me and donate! I selected the Zarzis to Pozzalo route, 301 miles, but switched it to km, then added a bit. I then had to decide the time frame, so asked my boyfriend how quickly I could do 500km without doing myself some serious injury. He suggested two weeks. I decided 10 consecutive days to cover the entire distance.
I also didn’t have a bike, but another great thing about The Bike Project is that as well as servicing and donating bikes to refugees, they sell them to raise even more! Where else would I get a bike! The guys at the Camberwell branch were sooooo helpful, and found me a fantastic bike that fit me in every possible way. They even hooked me up with a helmet – safety first!
The days went by, and leading up to my 10 day stretch, I ‘trained;’ starting at 15km and gradually climbing. Climbing is the right word as I live in Crystal Palace which as many will know is known as the Himalayas of London! The weather got warmer, and warmer, and warmer, and by the time it was time for the challenge London was sitting comfortably in a consistent 26c.
The plan was to – if possible – get as many km in the bag early on, as I knew I would start to struggle as time went on. I managed 60km+ for the first couple of days. It seemed OK, but things quickly started to hurt…
Aching wrists, bruised shins from poor pedal management, mild heat stroke and of course, an increasingly sore bum! But the money and support began to roll in hard so on I went!
Day 7 was the worst: a forecast 33c so I was out of the house at 6am and cycled until 10:45am. It felt like 58c even then!
Day 8 didn’t go quite to plan. As an event manager I had agreed to work a wedding of a friend of a friend, but was assured I wouldn’t be needed until lunchtime. But the call time crept earlier and earlier and by the night before they said they’d need me at 8am. So a grand total of no kilometres we’re cycled on day 8…
By the beginning of day 9 I had 115km left to go. Not ideal, but achievable. Surely… On I rode. It was getting monotonous, tedious, and tiring as hell. Someone suggested I delay the end of the challenge to a cooler week, but I just always think, ‘I don’t think refugees can postpone fleeing war cause there’s a bit of drizzle, or avoid crossing the Med due to a mild breeze…’
Day 10 I hit a wall. One friend said, ‘I haven’t seen you cry yet, you cried loads doing the ration challenge.’ Well on day 10 I cried. Everything hurt. As well as my pride when I miscalculated the distance and arrived back at my door three kilometres short…
But my sponsors have raised around £2,500. According to The Bike Project that’s enough to provide approximately 25 people with safe, sturdy and reliable bikes. These bikes will prove essential with helping them get to legal meetings, family reunions, educational sessions, and all the while helping with their physical health and mental progress.
One other thing that didn’t go to plan was that I had every intention of donating the bike back to the charity when I’d finished. However, she and I have grown close as she took great care of me on this challenge so I think I’ll hang onto her a little longer. Name suggestions have been strong: Bike-oncé, Tyre-r Turner, Biker Groove….
I also have to thank Felix who stayed in touch via email throughout, and was a constant pillar of support. I can’t recommend this challenge enough!
Written by: Anna Cottle
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