When I entered what has been described as my midlife crisis in March by signing up for Cycle India, my whole life was to turn upside down. I could never have been described as either a cyclist or fit, and so the real challenge began, as cycling 390km over 5 days in India is not going to be easy. I became a regular at the gym, and on the lanes around Cheshire but in April help came with the arrival of my new partner Bertha (seen posing with me in my photo). She has helped improve my technique and speed both on road and off, up hills and down dales (that are getting bigger all the time!) She has even accompanied me to the other end of the country in search of training and other like minded mad women.
As a nurse I have had long standing links with women's health. My first Staff Nurse post was on a Gynaecology ward in mid Wales. Later I was to undertake a full time six month gynaecology course at Chelsea Hospital for Women, and then onto working in fertility. Of course I have an even more valid reason to support Women for Women and that is quite simply that I am a woman, as is my mother and her mother before her! I am also the mother of three beautiful daughters who were all born fit and healthy, and could all be mothers themselves one day. However my eldest sister was born with a mental disability, possibly caused by a badly managed pregnancy that with the knowledge we have today, could well have been prevented.

11th February 2008. UPDATE.
I arrived back at Heathrow from India at 6pm last night and finally home to Cheshire about 1.30 am, tired but still in total awe of the whole experience. The challenge was a challenge indeed as I worked for about 11 months on my fitness and cycling skills. This paid off as once in India the big challenge began, to cycle over a variety of surfaces in the most amazing countryside. Each morning the first challenge was to actually apply bum to saddle but this got easier as the days wore on. At other times, feeling tired it was just a case of turning those pedals, but I have never known such companionship as 74 women spurred each other on to keep going. The reward each night was lovely tent and a bucket of hot water! There has been a lot of laughter, dubious singing and a few tears along the way, but at the end they were tears of joy as everyone crossed the finish line. Every woman there was doing it for the joint purpose of supporting this very worth while charity. 

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