Moving to China, by Bronwyn Bowery-Ireland
Last December I participated in a 55km bike ride. It was the first time that I have ever done such a thing. A friend of mine
suggested that we enter the ride as a farewell to me before I leave to live in China. My first reaction was complete shock and fear. I heard myself saying out loud ÒNo way can I do a 55km bike ride.Ó I only ride my bike every so often and as it has just been winter here in Australia I hadnÕt been riding for a while. My friend encouraged me and told me I could easily do it. I applauded her faith in me but thought it may have been good for me to have a little faith in myself as well. This seemed pretty necessary on such a long bike ride.I went away thinking about this challenge. It certainly would mean that I would be leaving Australia on a high; it could also mean that this would be way too stressful a thing to do so close to leaving.
But the element of me that loves a challenge took the bait and I signed up online for the ride. I then began to recognise that the best way to achieve this challenge was to invite others along on the ride. I think hearing myself explain the ride to them somehow was an opportunity to convince myself of it. After a week I had 6 recruits, all novice bike riders like myself, all petrified and needing assurance and all a little excited by the challenge. There were two options for the ride, one being a 20km ride and the other being the 55km ride. At many times we all discussed that perhaps the 20 km ride would be more appropriate but I must say I held strong to do the 55km ride thinking a big challenge would lead to a bigger buzz.As the weeks got closer to the ride I decided in the last week before the ride to buy myself a bike with wonderful gears. Now anyone who is a rider will know that it takes some time to get used to a new bike and the gears but I
was not listening to any of those negative messages (which I now know to be truths).
So the days got closer. I managed to do two rides of about 10km and 30kms on the weekend before the ride. I felt a little more confident after this.Four days before the ride we all got together and worked out a plan for the day, who was picking up whom, who had a bike rack and what time to arrive. Now some of you might know that I am not a person to be governed by time (yes probably could do with a little coaching around this) and so when everyone suggested leaving at 5.30am I strongly objected. Anyway after counting back we agreed on a 6am pick up as we needed to collect a few people and we lived an hour, by car, from the starting line. We all still talked and nervously laughed at the size of the challenge but we felt strong with the support of each other and each other’s comforting words. The morning arrived, I awoke at 5.20am, showered, dressed in my bike gear, and had a coffee. Breakfast was done very quickly as my co-riders awaited me. I picked them up along with their bikes and off we headed to the starting line. We were all a little bleary eyed and laughing nervously, a little in shock with what lay ahead of us.After a few phone calls we all managed to arrive together at the starting line. We all smiled and wished each other well and took off with the sound of the starting gun ringing in our ears. Our nervous laughter continued for about the first 5 kms and then slowly we each found our own pace and got stuck into the journey ahead of us. Many cyclists passed and wished us well, some enthused us along the way and we found ourselves in the midst of great female camaraderie. It was a great feeling and it certainly helped me along my way. By the 32 km mark we stopped for a drink, some fruit and a few energy jelly beans. We were all still laughing, some deliriously, some still in fear as we still had a distance to go but we were all in good spirits hugging each other and chatting endlessly about how we were going so far. The energy of that moment certainly was great.The time came for us to mount our bikes and complete the 23kms that lay before us. We wished each other well and headed off.We all crossed the finishing line.
It took us 3 hours in total, not bad for novices, but what struck me the most was not the enormity of crossing the finishing line but rather waiting to hug each of my fellow riders. We all hugged each other, cried a little, laughed amidst the tears and couldnÕt believe we had done it. We were all so proud of each other.The finishing line was not the big moment for me - it was the journey. The closeness and bonding that had occurred with my friends, the strength we had gained from each other and just being part of one another’s achievements was the highlight of the entire ride for me. It was certainly a moment that I will cherish forever.In December our graduates, all 84 of them, crossed the finishing line and certainly it was a moment of great joy and excitement. When they looked back and reflected it was the journey that held the most meaning for each of them. They met friends, they worked with the trainers, they supported their clients and each made a huge achievement. Their journey was great, their energy enormous and their connections forever. Remember as you go forward that life is all about the journey. Enjoy every moment of it and reward yourself when you cross the many finishing lines that lie before you.