On Sunday/Monday 3 of us drove non-stop the 1300 miles to Utiel in Spain where we met up with Paul Sampson who is riding 1700 miles in 17 days for Marie Curie Cancer Care and The Royal Marines Charitable Trust Fund. We were all tired BUT Paul had cycled that same distance, over more inhospitable terrain, in bad conditions and - for a good amount of it - solo. We had no cause to complain. Paul is not a cyclist and 18 months ago had barely ridden a bike in anger. It is difficult to comprehend just how much of a challenge this is, even if you are seasoned in the saddle. Today I rode 100 miles with him in fierce heat and was completely humbled by the experience. For a man who had already ridden 1300 miles without a rest day, Paul was incredibly strong and remains jovial and his determination to finish is palpable - he would have been justified to have turned to me and, in the words of Darth Vader uttered: ......now I am the master - but hes just not that kind of man. His genuine respect for the charities he is representing keeps him focussed and willing to suffer any pain (which seems to be an abstract concept!) - The man is a machine. Please take the time to visit ride4care, read his blog and contemplate what he is going to achieve and why. Donate if you can, even a small amount - I guarantee its worthwhile and whatever you decide to give I bet I can think of 3 things you could have wasted it on ;)
Posted on: Tue, 06 May 2014 21:22:06 +0000