The fun gift I inherited…risk!

Genes are a funny thing aren’t they. I’ve got green eyes and olive skin, yet my sister has blue eyes and fair skin…my brothers all have ginger beards, as does my son. How we look is something we just have no say in when we are born. But what goes on inside is also something we have no say in – I’m not talking about our emotions or our feelings. I’m talking about all that gooey stuff on the inside that controls how our body works – the stuff we don’t see like blood, chromosomes and even cholesterol.

The winning…and the losing. So that was 2018.

Gathering some strength for the new year to come…better, happier, stronger.

That #bestnine on Instagram is a funny thing isn’t it…you let a computer algorithm decide your highlights for the year. It’s the anomaly that exists on social media that we post the best of ourselves, the way we want the world to see us: the Wheel Women #bestnine is a glorious exposé of wins, success, fun, laughter and a little bit of adventure. But the saddest part is that I had to ask a friend to remind me what was great in the year almost gone.

No computer algorithm could remind me of the loss, the frustration, the hard work, the late nights, the disagreements, the tears…oh yes, and sometimes the incredible lack of tears behind the pictures. Fighting against that human spirit when it falls in a heap is like climbing a small Everest, and no algorithm will ever be able to detect the pain behind some of the pictures it selects as your #bestnine.

Riding for my life. Literally.

It seems everyone’s favourite question for me at the moment is ‘Why did I take up cycling?’ I guess up until the diagnosis I received 4 weeks ago today, I’d have simply said ‘because it’s fun.’ I didn’t know 4 weeks ago today that my life would be different, forever….

‘Fat chicks don’t wear lycra’…says who?

Some of the media for the This Girl Can – Vic campaign, including ‘my’ poster.

‘Hey Tina, thought of you when I saw this. You should apply’…and so went the 20 or so messages and emails from well meaning friends.  But could I live up to the role of sharing my story for the  This Girl Can – Vic? Nope, not gonna do that one!

Like so many I’d watched the UK This Girl Can campaign and was so overwhelmed by the power of the ads that there was no way I could be ‘one of them’. And besides, I had to make a video to submit as an application – I just knew there would be some super professional submissions. And what would I say…probably not much that anyone would care about.

The fear of not making 52…

 

“If I could just stop all the heavy breathing I’d be happy, but hang on…it’s okay, I’m walking up a hill. This must be okay, anybody would puff up this hill. Gosh I’m so sweaty today too…it’s not that hot. But yep, I’m working out walking up this hill, it’s hard work, maybe I should get some leggings for this…I’m sure everyone puffs and pants up this one.”

The power of finding a little positivity…

Sometimes it can grab you like a led weight dragging you down, other times it feels like you just want to be angry and short tempered to everyone around you…sitting out, watching from the sidelines, not being able to do what you normally do, feeling pain in every move you make, even breathing hurts. Injury is my nemesis.

WOULD I BUY THE NEW DIVERGE?

Well, for me that’s a simple question. If you’ve ever had the chance to ride the ‘Future Shock’ suspension system from Specialized, you’ll probably know why! They’ve said ‘smoother is faster’ and it certainly is – I have it on my Ruby Expert 2017 and when I first tested the Future Shock I was no more than 100 metres down the road on a Ruby before I was screaming with delight…it turns a rough ride into a bearable one!

Wheel Women

This is just SO sensational reading this Danika…it’s not just about the bike. It’s the friends, the state of mind, the connections and the finding yourself. Love it!!

L i f e - be IN it!

This past week, and the week before that, were all about the bike. And the women. And the rides. And the cafes. Put it all together and it’s a winning formula; there is almost nothing I could recommend more! And it’s all due to the women’s cycling group Wheel Women. Have I mentioned them before? Once, twice?? But they’re always worth another mention or more because they do amazing work getting us women on bikes and keeping us there.

I have to say that my involvement with (possibly read: dependence on) Wheel Women is one of the main reasons why going to Canberra for 3 months from September to December 2016 was hard, and why coming home was so good. I really didn’t know if I’d keep up riding in Canberra without my supportive group. Wheel Women’s director kindly put me onto a cyclist in Canberra, but her group was…

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“One of the best rides of my life”

We were talking about the essence of what made a great ride, what would be the pinnacle for us…exactly what would it take to get us there. It wasn’t tough criteria and actually it was unanimous about what was needed to tick the boxes. In fact, in many ways it seemed that we all agreed on something that was just so simple.

It’s a conversation I’ve had with a few close friends recently. Just exactly what does it take to excite the senses, ignite the fire in the belly, get the endorphins pumping and put that smile on the face that doesn’t go away for a long time. I was interested to know because I’ve struggled with having to re-think my riding plans for a little while now. My injuries are classified as ‘chronic’ now and if I’m to keep moving until I’m old, then I need to re-assess what will put that fire in the belly.

The story behind the photo…

If only we took the time to really see the story in a picture and explore it’s depth, if only we knew the true stories behind the faces, then maybe the picture might hold more significance. This photo for me is not just a great picture taken by Georgie Wilson (@georginamonette), it is the story of courage, challenge, commitment and friendships forged through unlikely circumstances.

For a moment, my breath was taken away when I saw this: it reminded me of what Wheel Women is about and how far we have come in the just over 4 years we’ve been running, and what it means for all the women who have experienced the joy of a ride with us. I am lucky to know the extraordinary stories behind every rider.