Over the last few weeks I have taken 14 flights primarily with work and set down in Germany, Georgia, Qatar, France, Belgium and Luxembourg and numerous cities in each country. I have clocked over 500km cycling and sweated many sessions in the Gym and at home. I have had lows and highs but more of the latter thankfully.
The last two weeks were mainly highs, cycling grade 2 and 3 climbs in the beautiful Ardennes. Following in the footsteps of the brave World War II heroes through Foy, Bastogne, Jack’s wood and the many beautiful villages that remember these heroes with monuments, statues and plaques.
One plaque reads, ‘May the world never forget’. Sadly, I think the world has forgotten or we would not have the current threat to break up the EU and threaten the peace and stability it has facilitated.
I have also had the pleasure of attending one of the most inspirational days of my life, Beaumont Hospital Foundations, Heroes Day. This is an annual event where patients of the hospital nominate and honour many of its medical professionals. I had the pleasure of honouring Dr Aoibhlinn O’Toole and Mary Forry, two extraordinary women who gave me back my life and have kept me healthy to enjoy it.
I also heard the brave stories of many amazing patients who through their own extraordinary strength and persistence and the expertise, kindness and patience of their medical professionals learnt to walk, talk, sing and live again despite all the odds being stacked against them. It was a very moving and inspiring day and one that I will never forget. I feel privileged to have been a part of it.
My main low has been my self-doubt re cycling from Paris to Nice, 760kms in six days. I am usually a very motivated and positive person – glass half full, but I was mentally in a glass half empty place. I read books to motivate me and they did not work, I listened to motivational podcasts, they did not work, I spoke to friends and family to no avail. I needed a mind over matter mentality but I could not find it. No matter how much I trained, I did not feel it was enough.
This week in Beaumont Hospital I found my strength through the inspirational stories of ‘mind over matter’, ‘determination over adversity’ and ‘persistence over pain’. Paris2Nice seems a doddle when compared to the apparent insurmountable obstacles that many of the brave patients have overcome. The countdown is on… 23 sleeps before the cycle begins. I’m ready, willing and able and my motivation is strong.
I need to raise €70,000 to fund a doctor to research the supports that are necessary to make living with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease tolerable and to provide day-to-day patient home care support services. Please help me to achieve this goal by donating to www.cycle4cc.com you cannot imagine the difference your donation will make.
Thank you,
Attracta
