Ride Africa - the Adventure of a Lifetime
I am unbelievably excited to announce….
I am going to be an ambassador for Ride Africa, taking on November’s ride through rural Kenya and helping promote the unique event and the invaluable work the charity child.org and rideafrica.org do.
Forget strava segments, carbon road bikes, and coffee shops - this will be an almighty challenge and will take me completely out of my cycling bubble and comfort zone. I'll be contending with heat, hills, off-road riding and Africa's wildlife... And I cannot wait to get stuck in!
My aim is to raise over £1800 to help some of the world’s most vulnerable children and mothers. Whoever they are, wherever they're born, every child deserves an equal opportunity. And I am going to help child.org make that happen. And you can be part of it too, and donate here !
The ride is an epic six-day off and on road adventure challenge covering 450 km’s across Kenya’s breathtaking landscape, starting at Lake Naivasha and finishing in the rural community of Meru where Child.org are funding vital pregnancy support projects. Tragically still in 2019, 1 in 26 babies in this area do not reach their first birthday.
Ride Africa is a fully supported event, with riders being guided and motivated by Kenyan cycling legend David Kinjah, the man who discovered and mentored Chris Froome as a teenager.
Beyond the chance to ride in Africa and have a profound social impact where it is needed most, EVERYONE can do a ride like this - both experienced and newer riders, men and women. Some training is needed - I am expecting a really tough challenge - but together, we can achieve extraordinary things and truly make a difference. If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
I’ve lived and breathed sport my whole life, from swimming and rowing competitively through school and university, to finding joy, peace, and pain in cycling now, alongside my job. I am also incredibly passionate about both promoting women’s sport and in encouraging more women and girls to ride bikes too. An epic adventure where I can ride a bike to help women and girls, and children growing up in some of the most difficult environments in the world? It was a no-brainer to join this ride and I’ll be documenting it all for you on this blog and on social media too!
And now, we want YOU to join me.
Child.org have developed a great reputation for their Ride Africa events, since their first ride in 2010 through Ghana. Their professional and experienced event team take care of everything to support the riders, transfers, provision of high quality mountain bikes, guides, mechanical support, medical support, feed stations, support vehicles and lots more.
The hotel accommodation is hand-picked for its location and hospitality, with the all-important food being exactly what’s required for hungry cyclists.
Riders will pass through Hell’s Gate and many other national parks, across vast plains, alongside lakes teeming with wildlife, past Thompson Falls and then the base of Mount Kenya and onto the finish line near Meru. There are both fundraising and non-fundraising options available, which both offer a world beating experience at great value.
You don’t need to be an elite cyclist, you just need to be prepared to put a little bit of training in. Sign up and come join us! You can find all the details here: https://rideafrica.org/
And if you can’t join me in November, why not support my ride? If you can please donate and help me reach my target of £1800.
Martina Gant, Programming Manager at Child.org and previous Ride Africa rider said: “Ride Africa is a life-changing experience for our riders and for the women their fundraising will support. Imagine going through a difficult pregnancy and birth in a place where access to information is a struggle. Accessing the internet briefly can cost the same as your daily food budget. Health clinics are hours away by foot and community care is inconsistent and scarce at best. By empowering mums with information about how to keep their families safe and well, we will enable them to help their babies survive and thrive.”
Jamie Chisholm from Child.org said “ Having worked with Laura over the past few months it is evident that the driving force behind everything she does is inspiring others, particularly women to get on their bikes. I know she is also blown away by the positive social impact the bicycle has!’’
About Ride Africa
Ride Africa is owned and run by Child.org. All riders pay for their own trip in full, with 100% of fundraising donations going directly to the charity. We have been running cycle rides in Africa since 2010 and specialise in combining fundraising that feels direct and impactful with awe-inspiring routes and experiences. Visit rideafrica.org and register your interest to hear about future rides, we have further rides scheduled for 2020 including Tanzania.
About Child.org
Child.org is a UK registered innovative charity, dedicated in building a world where every child has an equal opportunity. We do what works, in some of the most challenging places in the world to grow up. This extends from developing ways to keep children at school and reach their full potential, to supporting young Mums with sustainable pregnancy support groups in rural Kenya. Every Child.org programme has two aims, it should improve the lives of children for the long term, it should also teach us how to work better.