My challenge:

On September 1st, I'll be setting off from South London on my bike for two weeks and, with my husband, we will be cycling unsupported through 5 countries and covering around 2000km, camping as we go, with the goal of reaching the fair city of Verona. 

As someone who has been terrified of cycling my entire life, this a challenge I didn't think I'd be undertaking. But here I am, hoping to inspire more people, and primarily women and girls, to do the things that scare them and get involved with sport. I'm hoping my challenge will demonstrate that sport doesn't have to be competitive, that there are many rewards to be found through slow travel, and the many joys that can be gained through cycling. 

My why:

I've always wanted to enjoy cycling, as it allows you to get outside and explore the world in ways walking and running can be limited. The ground you can cover is much greater in a day, and the stress on your joints is much less than running. But I've always been put off.

Fear and safety have been the biggest blockers - it's felt pretty treacherous getting out, and road bikes and cleats just added to my fears of lack of stability and control. Fast descents and loss of control play a part in that, and tough ascents, and having to stop and start up them definitely has put me off.

Then there is the gear, all the knowledge you feel you need just to get the right kit, and god forbid something goes wrong and you need to do maintenance on it. 

Finally there's image. Both the image of cycling and the image of being a woman in lycra on a bike. Women still lag far behind men in using bikes, and even with a recent increase in female cyclists, there haven't been many role models or fellow women cyclists to engage with. And if you aren't skinny, women's cycling clothing is really unfriendly. I'm a very average size 12, but in cycling clothing, that's a Large, and often there isn't anything bigger. The lycra shows every lump and bump, and it can be quite demoralising in our image focused society to feel so exposed. 

But in 2020, things finally changed for me. Quieter roads and no opportunity to travel meant cycling became an appealing option to see beyond my neighbourhood. 

I tentatively started heading out and when I ended up with a running injury, cycling suddenly became my main sport. I still consider myself a newbie, I lack a lot of confidence and probably annoy a lot of drivers as I wobble into them setting off at every set of traffic lights, but I've realised, unless I commit to something big, things won't change. 

So I challenged myself to find something I'd love to achieve through cycling. For me that's combining my love of travel and all things Europe with cycling. I'm not going to be breaking any world records, but it's the biggest physical challenge I've ever attempted. 

My husband is coming along for the journey, and I'm glad he'll be there when the going gets tough, but we're doing this entirely unsupported. We'll be camping, carrying all our kit, slogging our way from the UK, through France, Germany, Austria and into Italy. 

Who I'm supporting

Did you know that in England, until the pandemic, men cycled three times as much as women? Or that even during the pandemic, with quiet roads, they still made more than twice as many trips as women?

In England alone, there are 721,800 more inactive women than men, nearly 60% of teenage girls aren't meeting the weekly recommended exercise guidelines. In fact, 42% of adult women are not active enough for good health. But why, and how can we close this gender gap in sport? While there is lots done to raise awareness of the gender gap, what's really needed is an understanding of the underlying reasons to be able to instigate change.

Women in Sport is the only organisation in the UK to research sport from the perspective of women and girls. It's a charity with a track record of success in securing change based on its deep understanding of the needs and aspirations of women and girls at each life stage and its determination to break down stubborn gender inequalities through its work within the sports sector and beyond. Women in Sport carries out research into women's relationships with sport and physical activity, provides strategic and practical support to help sport deliverers understand how to better engage with women and girls, and campaigns and raises awareness.

The charity wants to give every woman and girl the opportunity to take part in sport and inspire her to do so.

If you have a mother, wife, sister, daughter, granddaughter or female friends, ask them (or if you are a woman, ask yourself as well!) how they feel about cycling, are they scared? Put off by the male dominance or the lack of friends they have who do the sport? How do they feel about sport and exercise generally? How did they feel about sport when they went through puberty, or once they entered motherhood, or even menopause? 

Have those conversations, and if you agree that encouraging and inspiring women and girls to engage with sport is worth supporting, please do donate. I'm very grateful, and it will give me an extra boost as I struggle through Europe with saddle sores and a heavy load on my bike! 

Follow my journey and progress through my blog and Instagram:

www.rockandroadgirl.com

Instagram handle: @rockandroadgirl