Photos by Ross Taylor. Instagram: _rtshots
Local girl, Katy Roberts, has completed the challenge of a lifetime, pedalling her way across the lengths and breadths of Great Britain, in memory of a very special person in her life.
On the first day of June, Katy set off from Land’s End on what would become the most incredible journey. Along the way, she made new friends as cyclists endeavoured to join her, and raised thousands of pounds for three mental health charities close to her heart - Papyrus, a young suicide prevention charity, Cornwall Mind, and Sport in Mind, a Cornish charity helping to get people back into sport.
The challenge saw Katy taking on 3,500 miles of vast landscapes around the country. The journey took her from Land’s End and across the rolling hills of Cornwall and Devon, before moving on to the stunning mountainous climbs of Wales, the dramatic landscapes of Cheshire and Cumberland, and up to the sprawling terrain of the Scottish Highlands. After a well-deserved rest on reaching Edinburgh, Katy made her way down the country, taking in beautiful scenes around the north of England from Northumberland to Lincolnshire. The journey home sent Katy over the east coast of Norfolk and Suffolk, before she moved firmly into the southern territory of Essex to east Sussex, and on home to Cornwall.
Katy said: “I saw so much, from the landscape to the people I met and the conversations I had. I had a lot of lows with a squashed bike - and then a new bike - on day 6, antibiotics from a horsefly bite, the worst weather Scotland had seen in 17 years, and getting sick from all the wet weather while camping. However, I wouldn't change it and it made me appreciate the good, and savour the ups.
“The ups were the people. I had a lot of time on my own which was sometimes scary, but most of the time it was beautiful and freeing. The second half of my journey (coming down the east coast) was mostly with people and I had some of the most powerful and open conversations I've ever had; there is something about being outside with less pressure to talk - you can be more free with how you speak.”
After losing her dad as a teenager, Katy admits the road through grief has been tough, but her focus on being out in nature has helped through the rockiest times. To honour this and help others in a similar position, another aim of the challenge was to open up a safe space for people to talk about how they were feeling, whether they had lost someone to suicide, had been dealing with their own mental health struggles, or simply wanted to spend time outdoors, in nature with likeminded people.
“I am a massive advocate for movement, being outdoors and connection for keeping happy and healthy. It’s not going to solve everything, but it's a good start,” Katy continued. “I lost my lovely Dad to suicide when I was 17 years old. He was my hero and my world collided when I lost him. I felt very helpless for years, but this felt like something I could do, a way to help - to raise money but also to raise awareness and to start a conversation. I have had so many people on and off the ride open up about grief, mental health, suicide and its been very powerful - for me and for them.”
As a result, Katy has managed to raise an incredible £13,000 for her chosen charities. In addition to that, she has encouraged countless people across Cornwall and the rest of the country to open up and reach out to loved ones when times get tough, which is priceless.
Katy added: “I couldn't have done this without my community, my new and my old friends, and people I've not even met yet. Any time I had a down day, I would always get back on the bike because of all the love and support I received.
“I have reached more than my target, so thanks again to everyone who believed in me and the cause and donated. This will go a long way for people that really need some support.”
You can still donate to Katy’s fundraiser, read her blog posts written throughout the journey, and find supportive resources at https://saddletosea.co.uk/
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