End to End
LAND's END to
JOHN O' GROATS
WATCH THE FILM HERE
13th June 2019 - Handcycle Britain began; my attempt to become the fastest female to handcycle Land’s End to John o’ Groats (LEJOG).
In line with my motto - Dream Big, I set myself a goal to complete the gruelling 874 miles; cycling 100 miles and up to 2500 meters of climbing each day, in just 9 days. The current female Guinness world record stood at 11 days. The male is listed at 10 days.
Representing Great Britain in my racing career and ambassador role with Ordnance Survey’s GetOutside national campaign; helping more people to get outside more often, I championed the British landscape and communities through my Great British journey and record-breaking attempt.
Throughout the challenge I also measured air quality and pollution levels along the route supported by air quality monitoring specialists, as well as taking part in daily sports science testing in conjunction with Hartpury University, providing research into endurance and disability, in particular neurological and stroke, to benefit education and wider research applications.
I had a small performance team, aka the A-Team, made up of GB Olympic/Paralympic physio taking the role of performance manager; responsible for every aspect of my performance from treatment to nutrition, to hydration to recovery strategies. A mechanic will be in charge of the bike, while drivers, navigators, comms and creatives will work together in this crack team to play their part in achieving this challenge. Documentary filmmakers Friction Collective were onboard for the entire race and created a documentary film from the heart of Handcycle Britain.
I had personal reasons for attempting this challenge, a spark of adventure that was lit way back within a hospital’s four walls, and one that had grown over the years building to this point. My passion for adventure and my love of sport has always been closely linked, and following my Faroe Islands adventure in 2018, some corrective heart surgery that had put a pause on my racing, and my decision to leave the GB cycling team to put these things right, this project, built over the last year brought my experience and mindset of performance sport, into the world of adventure and ultra-cycling, studying and learning from the best to begin my next chapter.
This is a performance focus. It is who I am. Though to be able to support my two partner charities through Handcycle Britain, who have both helped me in my sport and adventure and who both do such fantastic work in supporting those with disabilities to getting active and in recovery, is something I really wanted to do.
Believing sport should be accessible to all, Arctic One aims to provide people, groups and clubs with disabilities, throughout the UK, with the opportunity to be more active through sport.
The AGS foundation provides support to people with disability, empowering members of the AGS community to undertake physical challenges, expeditions and extreme sports.
