So that’s it then… we’re off to Zambia for Transaid’s big cycle challenge in two days. That is, me, and a team of seven other Microlise colleagues including all sorts of characters from marketing, software development, field engineering and sales.
Putting my name on the list as a potential Microlise “athlete” in early 2017, I was fairly nonchalant. In my mind it was akin to entering a competition online or liking and sharing some new restaurant on social media (does anyone ever win those!?). The fact that I had never cycled further than five miles in a row and didn’t even own a bike didn’t seem to matter.
But successful in securing my place on the team I was. I am sure the 2017 version of Martyn; incidentally that’s the version without a four month old son, knew there was a chance of being selected – but I don’t think he really considered the implications for his future when dropping his name on the prospective team sheet.
Managing the trilogy of demands of a tiny tot, a grueling cycle training regime and a significant fundraising target has been a challenge. 2018 Martyn understands that now! Over the past year I’ve cycled more miles, baked more charity cakes and beat the fundraising drum more than in the cumulative 32 years that preceded. But, I have no regrets.
Fast-forward to now and that fairly benign decision has transformed into a “once in a lifetime” adventure. We’ve not even set foot in Africa and it has already done no-end of good for my waistline; and thigh profile for that matter.
Once we do actually land, the challenge will see us take on a 490 kilometre ride from Lusaka to the breath taking Victoria Falls in Zambia, on dirt tracks and undulating terrain, through tiny villages and open bush.
More importantly we’ve already boosted the coffers of the Transport industry’s unofficial charity of choice, Transaid. Its projects are truly changing lives – especially in Zambia where deaths from Malaria are reducing due to an excellent pilot project. During the pilot to deliver much needed medication, malaria child case fatality was drastically reduced from 8% to 0.25%, with three recorded deaths during a recent 12-month study period compared to an expected 97 deaths. I can’t thing of many better ways for charity money to be spent .
This is jsut one of the many excellent projects the amazing Transaid Cycle Zambia challenge is raising money for and is the latest in a list of African cycling challenges run by Transaid since 2006. The last, Cycle South Africa 2017, raised over £227,000 for its essential road safety and access to health care programmes.
So, here we go then. We set off on Friday 21st September and will return Sunday 30th September 2018. Padded shorts… check. Jelly Babies… check. Vaccinations… check.
The Microlise team has already pushed through our initial £30k team fundraising target, but are hoping to go even further and break £40k.
We would be extremely grateful for any contribution you might be able to make to our team fundraising page. It may help us when we’re trundling through the Zambian sand and needing to dig deep for that extra nugget of inspiration.
