I cycled 900 miles across the UK aged 17
After riding through country lanes and stretching bike lanes for 16 days in the rain, wind, and early morning chills, it felt quite surreal to be making my way through central London.
When my fellow riders and I arrived at our designated endpoint – Parliament Square – so many people were there to greet and celebrate with us.
If anything, I almost felt embarrassed from all the attention.
But, I had done it. At just 17, I cycled 900 miles across the UK.
I remember when I was around seven, being elated when my Dad finally taught me how to ride a bike, gliding along the roads with my friends.
As I grew up , cycling around the hills and single lane roads of my home of Skye became one of my favourite things to do – it still is.
In November 2022, I saw a message on the UK Save Soil Volunteers WhatsApp group chat that I’m part of for a UK cycling event called ‘Cycle For Soil’.
Save Soil is a global movement to try and address a crisis in soil and increase the organic content in what we cultivate.
They were looking for volunteers who may be interested in riding all across the UK to raise awareness of the degradation of soil across the globe.
I asked if anyone could join as a rider – and they said yes. The plan for the initiative was that different riders would take on certain parts of the journey, from every capital of the UK.
It was quite serendipitous, as I was already training for my own attempt at cycling from my home to London to raise awareness, but had struggled to properly organise it.
With Cycle for Soil, I didn’t have to do any of the difficult and laborious planning – all I had to do was ride!
A little more than a week after signing up, I was setting off from Edinburgh with 3 other riders.
I took time off from my job in a pub, using my savings to help fund my journey, but was helped by the fact we were shown so much hospitality by volunteers along the way.
On the journey, we were waking up from 5am every day and setting off soon after with a support car in tow. Each day, we would be cycling for six to seven hours and covering around 60 miles.
Our route took us through the major British cities; Edinburgh, Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff and finally London, but also allowed us to enjoy some scenic country roads too.
I’ll never forget the welcoming people we stayed with, who were so generous and open to us.
We were hosted by farmers as part of the Save Soil network, or other volunteers, and as we recovered from gruelling cycles, we were well-looked after.
On one occasion, every single volunteer from the town of Wem, in Shropshire, gathered at a farm and cafe owned by one of them and as we cycled in, we were greeted by drums and singing, and they prepared lots of lovely food and cake for us!
On top of that, the ride took us through some of the most beautiful routes in places I had never even thought of visiting.
I loved cycling through Colwyn Castle in Wales and the grassy hills of Northern Ireland, a part of the UK I had never been to before.
We always tried to enjoy ourselves by stopping every now and then to take pictures – and rest was important too. However, we soon realised that if we were to cover the full distance in such a short span of time, we would have to get a move on.
Everyday, there was a new hurdle to overcome. Heavy rains made it almost impossible for us to use our navigation, which sent half of the riders one way and the other half another way.
Personally, I never questioned myself or regretted taking up the challenge once. Then when we crossed the finish line, I was just so proud of all of us.
The celebrations at Parliament Square included more dancing and singing, and more food, and my proud parents had come down from Scotland to see me cross the finish line.
I stayed with the team of volunteers who had supported me in London before heading home the next day with mum and dad.
The aim of the campaign was rather than to raise any amount of money, to spread the message of the real environmental problems we are facing right now, and thanks to the amazing guys on the Save Soil team, we were able to have a huge impact.
The more people I met, the more they were taken aback and inspired by the fact I was only 17. But I was spurred on because I was cycling for a good cause.
I know that every young person is deeply concerned for the wellbeing of the planet. You can often feel helpless and not really know how to approach contributing to a better Earth, but I believe we are all responsible for creating the world we want.
Ever since the cycle ended, I’ve still been processing the mad journey we had!
My work as part of this campaign has even taken me to the main Headquarters of the Save Soil movement in Coimbatore, India finding other ways to help.
My journey was the most fulfilling thing I’ve ever done, and one day I want to do an even longer cycle through several countries, continents, or even a mountain range!
If anyone is thinking of signing up for a challenge like this, I would urge them to go for it.
You may not be able to get it the first time, or even the second, but if you are really committed and focused on what you want to do then things will naturally fall into place for you, and you can achieve your goals – and help the planet.
Age is Just a Number
Welcome to Age is Just a Number, a Metro.co.uk series aiming to show that, when it comes to living your life, achieving your dreams, and being who you want to be, the date on your birth certificate means nothing.
Each week, prepare to meet amazing people doing stereotype-defying things, at all stages of life.
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