When one journey comes to an end another begins. This amazing journey from one cold February morning earlier this year thinking 'I'm going to learn how to ride an off-road bike and ride it somewhere interesting ', to now has been quite incredible.
To date we've raised almost £8,000 and the final furlong, as it were, is auctioning the quite fabulous and unique piece of motorsport memorabilia and history. The shirt bit.ly/nKiLRu been signed by; Valentino Rossi, nine Grand Prix World Championships and multiple MotoGP World Championship title holder, Jorge Lorenzo, 2006 & 2007 250cc World Champion, 2010 Moto GP World Champion, James Toseland, 2004 & 2007 World Superbike Champion - he retired last month due to a wrist injury,
Cal Crutchlow, British Supersport champion and British Superbike race winner, and the 2009 Supersport World Champion, Danny Webb, 125cc World Championship multiple title holder, Leon Haslam, British Superbikes, World superbikes, Ian Hutchinson, TT racer, Jonathan Rea, World Superbike racer, Keith Amor, TT legend, David Johnson, British Superbikes , James Whitham,TT Superbike champion, British Superbike Champion Supercup and the ACU TT British Superbike Champion, John McGuinness, TT legend, Neil Hodgson, British Superbike and World Superbike Champion & Ian Lougher, 9 victories in the North West 200, 10 wins at the Isle of Man TT Races and 42 wins at the Southern 100 Races and all the signatures were gathered by Steve Parrish. What an awesome collection.
Some say a journey is best measured by the new friends and people one meets.
Many have been asking what the next challenge will be, there were a number of answers to that a fortnight ago!
A seasoned off-roader who competes regularly and is awesome on a bike, called me last week. He's done the trip. He said 'Congratulations and well done! What were you thinking (I don't think I was), that was a truly epic challenge for such a beginner. Good on you for coming back in one piece'. I'm still surprising myself now thinking back to some of the terrain I covered on a dirtbike! Wouldn't have missed it for the world and the guys were all fantastic and very supportive and encouraging but crikey I didn't know what I didn't know ......... But I do now......!
Thank you, Merci and Grazie to so many people;
Donna Gray for getting me on the bike, in the right kit and starting off my very tentative learning experience, Martin Wittering, mechanic extraordinaire along with buckets of constant moral support and encouragement, Gary Faillettaz for his consistent unfailing encouragement, tuition and so, so very much patience and picking my bike up more times than should be allowed, team-mate fantastico, Steve Parrish for the fabulous signed shirt, books and WSB passes, Michelle Hunter for hosting the auction at the wonderful Queen Adelaide, John Kettley - without whom for sure this journey would never have really begun! Jim Gale for the brilliant graphics and plastics, Tamsin Jones for training, moral support and hugely boosting my confidence, Liz Rhodes at BBC Radio Cambridgeshire for constant encouragement, Nigel Wheatley and Michele Maddocks of Enduroland, Ed Blum, film director, Charley Boorman for tweeting, FB 'ing ( in fact getting me on FB), signing a book for the auction, Ross Noble for an auction prize and for making me laugh and keeping me human in Wales, Billy Ward for making these aforementioned things happen and for suggesting more training, not to mention making me smile on numerous occasions when I really needed to, Tim McEwan, auctioneer of the mostest, Ian Glover of Bloodhound SSC, Nigel Harrison, Jayne Perks, Jeremy Goring of the Goring Hotel, Sue & Andy Banham of Taylard House, Chris Evans (thanks as well as singlehandedly almost completely putting me off bikes forever!) and Cyril Despres, Graham Banks of GB Racing for so much, Sally Saunders of Esse (support and keeping me vaguely feminine), Jacquie and Matt of The Wendy House, Janine Wood of SLP, Tessa Roberts of Ocean One, Christian Malissard of Eagle Perf, Angela Dawson of Dawson VA Services, Dave Newman of SupremeBeing, Irene Routh-Jones for moral support, lovely friend Rachael for getting me packed and lovely texts when I was in the Pyrenees, dear friends Paul and Ailsa for airport runs, Caroline Faillettaz for huge support, my parents for looking after the girls, my fabulous friend Wendy for so much moral support and my gorgeous sister Elly who was particularly brilliant when I was finding it harder than hard, Mr T for so much and so much more and my beautiful girls. And of course to so many generous family and friends who gave donations, kind words and huge support, thank you, thank you, thank you, merci, merci, merci, grazie, grazie, grazie.
As for the next challenge..........Andalucia and Africa in my sights and perhaps a rally. Watch this space.......
I stumbled upon your blog while searching for pictures of a specific bike. I read all of your posts in one sitting. Thank you for posting this :) It is truly inspirational. What you have done and are doing for those children/hospital is nothing short of deserving saint-hood.
ReplyDeleteAloha, from Hawaii