Year 7 of Cycle Against Suicide is upon us.
My goodness. Year Seven !
Its been a long journey since RTE studios start in April 2013.
I had come off a long cycle in New Zealand in 2011 and was looking or a long distance, multi-day cycle to somewhere.
Im not sure whether I heard it on the radio or seen it on TV but the news of a 14 day 1400km cycle around the island of Ireland suited my needs exactly. So, I was quick to sign on for this epic. Not knowing what to expect.
Well over 1500 cyclists of all standards pulled out of RTE in Donnybrook heading for a first stop in Bray and then onward to Waterford.
At Bray I couldn't understand the long lunch break, over 2 hours! It was a warm sunny day and I lay out in the sun after a nice buffet lunch. I found out later there were 'talks' going on inside. And to be honest I wasn't that interested. After all, I was here for the bike ride and wasn't expecting anything else.
That night I stayed in a hostel in Tramore, with a group of guys I had never met before. We were transported there in a Garda Paddywagon and collected the next morning by the same Gardaí.
It was starting to come clear to me that this was more than just a bike ride.
Next day I went into the school in Dungarvin to hear the 'talks'! We were told before we arrived that there was a funeral in the town that morning of a student who had taken his own life and we rolled quietly into town.
Thats when the significance of what I was on was more than a bike ride. It was, in fact, a way of carrying a message. That it's OK NOT TO FEEL OK. And that if we stood shoulder to shoulder we could break the cycle of suicide in Ireland.
And so, it has become somewhat of a pilgrimage for me. This bike ride!
So with 10 days to go Im excited about meeting old friends and going places, into schools making idiots of ourselves. (well! not me! Im much to stiff-arsed for that sort of carry-on) and staying in homestays meeting lovely people and trying to break the stigma of mental health.
So, let me get on with it. Get the next 10 days sorted. Get the body together. Spin the legs and do this!
Its been a long journey since RTE studios start in April 2013.
I had come off a long cycle in New Zealand in 2011 and was looking or a long distance, multi-day cycle to somewhere.
Im not sure whether I heard it on the radio or seen it on TV but the news of a 14 day 1400km cycle around the island of Ireland suited my needs exactly. So, I was quick to sign on for this epic. Not knowing what to expect.
Well over 1500 cyclists of all standards pulled out of RTE in Donnybrook heading for a first stop in Bray and then onward to Waterford.
At Bray I couldn't understand the long lunch break, over 2 hours! It was a warm sunny day and I lay out in the sun after a nice buffet lunch. I found out later there were 'talks' going on inside. And to be honest I wasn't that interested. After all, I was here for the bike ride and wasn't expecting anything else.
That night I stayed in a hostel in Tramore, with a group of guys I had never met before. We were transported there in a Garda Paddywagon and collected the next morning by the same Gardaí.
It was starting to come clear to me that this was more than just a bike ride.
Next day I went into the school in Dungarvin to hear the 'talks'! We were told before we arrived that there was a funeral in the town that morning of a student who had taken his own life and we rolled quietly into town.
Thats when the significance of what I was on was more than a bike ride. It was, in fact, a way of carrying a message. That it's OK NOT TO FEEL OK. And that if we stood shoulder to shoulder we could break the cycle of suicide in Ireland.
And so, it has become somewhat of a pilgrimage for me. This bike ride!
So with 10 days to go Im excited about meeting old friends and going places, into schools making idiots of ourselves. (well! not me! Im much to stiff-arsed for that sort of carry-on) and staying in homestays meeting lovely people and trying to break the stigma of mental health.
So, let me get on with it. Get the next 10 days sorted. Get the body together. Spin the legs and do this!
I’m with you John. Haven’t been on a bike for a while. Just spinning and hiking 🥾
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