18 years and 18 kgs later ...

3 September 2009
I remember it well ... March 1991 and the perfect conditions for my 1st Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour. I was 30 years old, playing hockey (and pretty fit, I'd say), had done one 10km practice ride on a bike I'd borrowed from my brother-in-law and I was as keen as mustard! I walked up Chappies, admired the view from the top for a good few minutes, walked up Suikerbos and still managed to finish in 5 hrs and 1 min. Ahh, the golden memory of that moment ...

And then there's the here and the now. I'm pushing 48 years of age, pushing considerably more kilograms in the midriff and buttocks areas than 18 years ago, and ... wait for it ... signed up to do my 2nd Argus Cycle Tour on 14 March 2010. "Why?" you may well ask. Mad. Mad. Mad ....

I had my ailing gallbladder removed a month ago and this has shocked me into a realisation that my overweight, exercise-free existence is slowly killing me, and there HAS to be more to life than I'm affording myself. So, I have joined up as the 1st 2010 Chaeli Rider, using my hours on the tarmac to complete the 109km course on 14 March 2010 to raise funds for The Chaeli Campaign. This organisation was started 5 years ago by my daughters, Chaeli & Erin, and their lifelong friends (Tarryn, Justine and Cheslea Terry) to get a motorised wheelchair for Chaeli (check out http://www.chaelicampaign.co.za/ for more info). And now it's MY turn to let my wheels do the talking!

This blog is an attempt to document the epic struggle to get fit, lose weight and raise funds to make a difference in the lives of children with disabilities across South Africa. 7 months ... hmmm ... And when you think that I can't even bend my knee (result of knee surgery 3 years ago!) at this moment, I certainly have my work cut out . Follow my journey and share the hilarity of re-learning how to get onto a bicycle ('they' say you never forget how to ride a bicycle; 'they' lied!), finding a way of dismounting with a locked knee, and revisiting muscles that I'd forgotten existed in my body.

It's going to be an incredible journey - follow me ...