To increase awareness and celebrate Green Football Weekend, I was invited to carry the official football from Forest Green Rovers, in Stroud to Colchester football stadium in Essex.
The 160miles were cycled over 2 days on my made-made bamboo bike and, unbeknown to me at the time, I also had a lung infection.
Green Football Weekend was developed to unite football fans in taking action around climate change. From eating a veggie meal to only using reusable bottles for our coffee, water and post match beer as well as using public transport, or even bike/walk to/from matches, every little action counts.
When forest green Rovers approached me to cycle with the football from their Stadium to Colchester 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 their 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 year 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
Deir was I able to take my sport to the next Level I’m 60 mi in I’m feeling it feeling very Tired uh coughing a little bit too but I’m going to PL on got 40 mil to go today before I can have a night off and then uh recharge ready for tomorrow to get to Colchester what you can see down here is uh my gears I’ve actually got stuck on
My top gear and not 100% as well as you can see behind me as well the sunm as Is Res setting and it’s getting colder and colder and I’ve got a good 40 miles to go before I get to G’s house 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 and 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
Cester but I do yeah I just struggle a bit that I’m failing you and I know it’s my only 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 didn’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 just 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 paring 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 We 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 it’s my 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 think 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 um multiple clo ERS of Roads uh I’m also nervous I’m going to hit a pothole or the curb or at wor 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 minut 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 a hard shoulder let alone cycle Lane and there’s lots of little potholes 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 whoop so yeah I’m really
Excited about 40 miles to go but me and the football we are on our way some 10 mil 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 hopefully 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 vegie 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 it’s nice to meet you yeah likewise love you meeting you and when did you sell off uh last Thursday morning from forest green three days three days 160 miles yeah yeah that’s right 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