So, I decided to get more active. Easier said than done, right?

My husband Roger and I kicked things off with a 30-day walking challenge. Every morning, we trudged to Sardinia Bay in Gqeberha for a 2km walk on the beach. Sounds idyllic, right? Well, the catch was the monstrous sand dune we had to climb to get back to the car.

Day one: We stopped about 20 times to catch my breath. By day 15, we were ready to throw in the towel, but the thought of just 15 more days kept me going. As the days dwindled, the climb got easier. By day 30, we could conquer that dune without stopping once. I felt like a superhero! Naturally, we thought, “What’s next?” Roger suggested a 30-day cycling challenge. “Only 10 km on a flat surface,” he said. And that’s how he roped me into this cycling thing.

Well, let me tell you, I hated it from day one. I complained so much I was sure Roger would give up, but nope, we did it again and again. I prayed for those 30 days to end. When they finally did, I declared that cycling was not for me. Then COVID hit, and we went into lockdown. Determined not to lose my newfound fitness, I started run/walking on my treadmill at home.

Once we could exercise outside again, we gave cycling another shot, and guess what? I fell in love. It was still tough, but with Roger and our close friends cheering me on, I got better and better. I wasn’t a natural, and I knew it because people would cheer me on from their cars as they passed me. Nothing says “You look like you’re struggling” quite like a stranger shouting, “Go, girl!”

Fast forward four years, and now I cycle every Saturday and Sunday, and once during the week. If we go away for the weekend, the bikes come with us.

From struggling to complete 10 km, we’ve set new challenges along the way: 30 km, 70 km, 109 km, 130 km, and our latest achievement, 150 km, all mostly off-road. We’ve tackled single tracks up mountains, conquered passes, and so much more.

Stay tuned for stories about the amazing places we’ve visited on our bikes.

I love cycling!