Kate Strong CYCLES 160 Miles from FGR to Colchester!🤯🚲

Kate Strong, a multi-world record cyclist and age-group world champion triathlete, embarked on a 160-mile journey from Gloucestershire to Essex to deliver the match ball for FGR’s game vs Colchester Utd.

This was all part of the Green Football Weekend, the biggest climate-football campaign which mobilises fans and clubs to take action on the climate crisis.

While Kate confronted big challenges along the way (including a lung infection), she managed to triumphantly complete the ride.

Kate’s been a vegan for a decade now and says that her transition to a plant-based diet enabled her to compete in elite races despite previously suffering from asthma. It’s only when she gave up dairy that she could take her sport to the next level.

“I’m really hoping that this cycle and the Green Football Weekend just get’s people woken up a little bit. You don’t have to be completely wild like me, who’s cycling in stupid temperatures over silly distances; you could just switch out a meal from meat to veggie because every little bit adds up.”

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When forest green Rovers approached me to cycle with the football from their Stadium to cester to promote green football weekend of course I was going to say yes I absolutely adore when we connect Sport with sustainability and it’s a really Innovative way to engage a mass communities in this conversation

Around climate change sport is a great analogy for how we need to address climate change it’s not about being perfect effect it’s about being in action it’s about taking the shot even if we risk missing it we need to start taking steps right now and we need to

Work together as a team to make sure that we can tackle climate change effectively I think it’s really important that we remember that climate change is happening right here right now in our country and in 2024 sometimes we think it’s going to happen somewhere in the future or at a different location

But we need to start taking action now to protect the sport that we love and also the country and lifestyle that we’ve grown accustomed to and is dear to us oh my God what an amazing experience that’s so cool so it is a little curious why me a cyclist is

Taking part in a football event but our values are so close it’s it’s natural for us to work together we both want to make the world a better place we both want to minimize our environmental impact but we also want to make sure that we perform at our Optimal

Performance and we’re also having fun along the way so we’re 45 miles in um I’m making the time I expected but gosh I’m tired you know I’m tired I’m a little bit painful but um but the whole point of green football weekend is to go outside

Of our comfort zone isn’t it is to not stay on the sofa comfortable and I’m definitely not Comfortable this is my 10th you’re celebrating being a vegan and it was part of me transitioning to a plant-based diet that actually got me to perform at an elite level I actually struggled with asthma and I couldn’t run faster but it was only when I gave up

Deiry was I able to take my sport to the next Level I’m 60 m in I’m feeling it feeling very Tired uh coughing a little bit too but I’m going to still PLS on got 40 mil to go today before I can have a night off and then uh recharge ready for tomorrow to get to cester what you can see down here is uh my gears I’ve actually got stuck on my

Top Gear I’m not 100% as well as you can see behind me as well the sum as is setting and it’s getting colder and colder and I’ve got a good 40 miles to go before I get to Go’s house is a good 10 miles out of my way which adds more

Onto the route but I just am considering just putting my health first uh especially as I’m laboring in breathing you know I do struggle cuz I see it as a failure you know I’m letting the side down a little bit and I’m sorry I’ll still get to cult just St but

I do yeah I just struggle a bit that I’m failing you and I know it’s my wor and I’m doing my best but yeah it just takes a little moment to say do you know what it’s bigger than me I might have to call it I don’t think I car this much

Sorry I’m good yeah yeah yeah thank you thank you so much thank you you look after yourself oh I love people hey oh man oh it just makes me want to cry again sugar right I’m call Kate strong it’s time to live up to my name

In it and I’m still going to get to call to with the ball so see you see you later and I hopefully I’ll stop crying by Then the sun’s setting the cold draws in and I’m even more motivated to get where I need to go and get warm right today’s been a roller coaster already generosity of strangers to stopping oh my God I’m going to cry again the generosity of strangers just

Stopping to ask how I am just shows people care they want to do the right thing you know we all do we want to feel connected we want to feel seen feel parsing we just get a bit busy don’t we and sometimes things in the future things that aren’t directly impacting us get

Pushed to the bottom like climate change and I’m really hoping that this cycle and the green football weekend just gets people woken up a little bit moves it up moves up the agenda just a little bit for them we don’t have to be completely wild like me and cycle in stupid temperatures

Over silly distances could just switch out a meal from meat to Veggie cuz every little bit adds up every increment just like I’m feeling with this temperature every time it drops half a degree I’m feeling it it’s making an impact not in the good way that have is got me on this freaking

Trail of the leaves I have no idea where I am absolutely no idea I’m completely lost I’ve lost the path as well oh my god I’ve lost the path I’m not sure if you can see how dark it is behind me uh but I’m really not enjoying the ride apart from getting

Terribly lost U multiple clo ERS of Roads uh I’m also nervous I’m going to hit a pothole or the curb or at worst somebody not see me and hit me so um if they’ve got room in the Inn I’m going to I’m going to take a room

Here just doing my final stages of packing feeling good I’m hoping today will be a better day for me um so Miles because I didn’t do the full distance yesterday it means I’ve got the same again to do today so I can completely appreciate why there aren’t many cyclists on the road

As you can hear it’s pretty busy there’s no uh hard shoulder let alone cycle Lane and there’s lots of little pot holes to fall into so it’s pretty gnarly as a d as a cycle in itself but the thing that surprises me is nearly every one of

These cars passing me has got one person here just one person you know why why aren’t we car sharing I’m so excited I just got here and there’s a great sign that says cester who whoop so yeah I’m really excited about 40 miles to go but me and

The football we are on our way so I’m 10 m shy of cester uh we I’m just staying me and the B have made it so far it’s very exciting but now is not the time to get complacent every meter matters so uh I’m going to Pace myself and keep pushing

Forward I have no idea who I’m going to be when I grow up I’m 44 and still working it out but I do know that I love taking action and always finding a way to connect to different communities and making sure that the world has left a

Little bit better hope y thanks to me and my action the one thing I can say if you are a football fan is take a pledge be that go veggy for a day switching out your single-use plastic cups to reusable or even walking or cycling to work instead of driving make a difference

Every single day and have fun along the way hell it’s nice to meet you yeah likewise love meeting you and when did you sell uh left Thursday morning from forest green three days 3 days 160 miles yeah yeah that’s way yeah thank you so

Much can’t be a lot of fun out there on the road uh you know it could be worse you know so yeah I enjoy it though it’s a great privilege just to get out there and talk about this it’s a brilliant move right to bring the football here

For the kickoff Green football weekend it gets more people talking about it you know that’s all about it it’s just engaging people in the conversation thinking outside the box brilliant but yeah thanks so much really appreciate it