I grew up in a small ‘cul-de-sac’ in a suburb of Birmingham, UK. The road was a slight hill but as a 4 year old, it felt like Mount Everest! I started very young with bikes & was always over confident. My father had noticed that even though my little bike had stabilisers, neither of them were actually touching the floor so he removed them. I was hooked on the freedom immediately. Pedalling as hard as I could to the top of the hill with my mates & then rolling all the way back down & doing a massive skid at the bottom of the road while the neighbours shouted ‘mind that car’. Once, I lost control & face planted a lamppost at full speed. I broke my nose & it’s still crooked to this day. A small reminder that I’m not actually invincible!
I used to ride my bike to school, (5km away) from the age of 11 navigating back alleys and busy main roads… it became a bit of an adrenaline rush to see how quick I could get there. On weekends a group of us would go off roading & downhill on near vertical hills in the woods… pure teenage heaven, covered in mud with a grin from ear to ear.
I’ve always had bike, it’s always called to me. When I’ve been depressed it’s been my saviour. When I’ve needed adventure it always there for me to jump on & explore. A couple of years ago I stuck my bike to the back of my van & drove all the way through Europe to Malta to see my family here. That’s when I decided to stay here. The sheer joy of being able to use my bike all year round without the need for permanent rain wear convinced me!