Geraldine Glowinski, aged 58
Lives: Sanderstead, Surrey
Accounts Director
Since my husband,
Marek and two children Philip and Anna were besotted by cycling I felt I needed
to see what the sport was all about. It was a case of ‘can't beat them so join them’,
particularly as Philip and Anna were urging me to start cycling. Maybe if I
didn't ride I would have become a bike widow.
My first outing was a seven-mile ride,
stopping for tea and a Kit-Kat. My balance was terrible and I was very nervous
of the traffic, but John Turnbull the ride organiser was so patient and
amusing. I went home on a high. It was life-changing for me.
After some time, I started doing long rides
with a group called the ‘Over The Hill Gang’, which goes out during the week in
the lanes around Surrey and Kent. I met an inspiring woman, Ann Bath, who
encouraged me to compete in a 10-mile hilly time trial. It was great.
Then I
did road racing, which was really tough. In my first race I couldn't breathe
properly and suffered. I was so happy to have finished and to have been
encouraged by other riders, that I repeated the experience and slowly improved
and gained confidence.
As well as that, I did a few track omniums and mountain bike
races. I loved the skill, speed and reactions in racing, particularly on the
track.
Cycling really is my sport. It's my means to
escape from life's normal problems. It keeps me fit and active as well as
having a like-minded community to call on. For me, cycling provides a social
life, and an appreciation for the simple enjoyment of being outdoors.
As far as my family is concerned I know it
has kept us close as we are interested in what each other is doing in the
cycling world. We know many of the same people, talk the same talk - it’s
great.
I must also highlight that we do have a life
outside cycling, as we run a structural engineering consultancy and sometimes
get involved with personal building projects. Both Philip and Marek are
structural engineers, and I work in the company too.
It was Marek who encouraged the children to
ride and race, as initially I didn’t know much about the sport. When watching
them race it was always heart-stopping when I didn't see them go past at the
moment I was expecting to see them. I would be thinking ‘What's happened to
them?’ Even now, I hate watching the final sprint in a road race and always
feel delighted they have finished an event without incident. Having said that,
I had always wanted Philip and Anna to lead active outdoor lives, so it’s a
case of ‘Be careful what you wish for!’
I feel I am an extremely lucky woman, because
in 2005 I was knocked off my bike by a speeding car on a fast dual carriageway,
the A217 in Surrey. I went over the bonnet and smashed the windscreen and
missed a wooden stake by inches. My right leg was shattered, but the surgeons
were fantastic and saved my leg by putting a titanium pin in.
After I recovered it took me six months to
get back on a mountain bike as I didn't initially want to ride on the road.
Thankfully I was protected, and helped by the cycling fraternity to get back
into cycling again.
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| Climbing over the Galibier |
Nowadays I tend to do long, challenging road
and mountain bike cyclosportives, which give me so much satisfaction and allow
me to go to different places and countries. One of my favourite places to ride
is Mallorca. The roads, climbs, cafes, sun and company make for superb riding
and fun. I usually go there in May and
am a Ride Leader on the Legros Training Camp.
My favourite bikes are my Argon 18 carbon
road bike and my Trek Procaliber. When I ride the Argon it feels like I'm
flying. The Procaliber is a fantastic bike to experience the challenges of
mountain biking now that I'm in my fifties, and it makes me want to improve and
up my game.
When I go out cycling I am never without my
phone. As well as having it for emergencies, I use it to take photos to remind
myself of the wonderful views, people and experiences I have on my rides.
Cycling has given me some unforgettable experiences.
For instance, I did a nine-day cycling trip from Geneva to Nice (La Route des
Grandes Alpes). The weather was atrocious, which made each day a challenge both
climbing and descending the Alps. Three of us experienced climbing over a fresh
avalanche on the Col du Galibier and lived to tell the tale.
Our family has also been supporting African
cycling projects. The Africa Rising Racing team was instigated after the Rwanda
Genocide to show that the various factions could work, train and live together,
giving hope of re-uniting all the Rwandans after the most horrendous war crimes.
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| Cycling trip to Rwanda |
Also we were asked by Anna one evening, after we’d had a few gin and tonics, if we would host for two weeks four riders from the current team and their coach, so that they could race here. It was a great time and we were happy to be involved in helping these unspoilt lads gain their dreams of getting onto international sponsored teams.
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| Hosting Team Rwanda |
Also, don't buy the cheapest bike as you'll
have to upgrade very quickly!”
Other Cycling Voices
Emily Chappell
Michelle Webster
Grace and Lucy Garner
Hannah Bussey
Carolyn Hewett-Maessen
Caroline Martinez
Niusha Doyom
Maria David
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