🚴‍♂️ My 800-Kilometre RACE ACROSS ESTONIA! 🇪🇪

In early August 2023, I'll be racing 800 kilometres across Estonia - that’s riding a mountain bike carrying everything I need (tent, sleeping bag etc), except for food and water.

I’ll be doing it for a few reasons, to fundraise for Code to Inspire (https://www.codetoinspire.org), a charity that teaches Afghan women coding and graphic design skills, to help develop their life chances, escape domestic abuse, and realise their potential. Notably, at the time of writing this, the current administration has withheld education from women in Afghanistan for over 600 days - this is completely and utterly wrong.

Secondly, to prepare for a bigger challenge next Autumn: to complete the Silk Road mountain race. An infamous 1,800-kilometre (1,120-mile) fixed route, unsupported, single-stage cycling race through the Tian Shan Mountains of Kyrgyzstan. It’ll feature some 30,500 metres (100,000 feet - approximately 4 times the height of Everest) of climbing on a diverse and rugged mix of trails. With a low number of actual finishers, I’m training hard to make sure I’m one who makes it all the way to the finish line party in the 14 days competitors have to finish the distance.

For my race across Estonia, I’ve entered the Kõkõva 800 race (https://www.panepanepane.ee/kõkõva-800). My aim is to replicate my Silk Road race pace of at least 128 kilometres per day (c.80 miles) on my fully loaded mountain bike to deal with the distance before I start adding in the elevation.

Please do consider donating as every penny will help a young Afghan woman get employable skills and crucially, a better chance in life.