Monday 4 December 2017

People who go the extra mile

There are lots of people in this world to admire. those that do heroic things, make sacrifices for others or in some way are inspirational. we could all name a few of the high profile ones i'm sure but there a lot of unsung heroes who go unnoticed and prefer it that way because they think they are doing nothing special, it's their daily routine, it's how they choose to live their lives.
I'm going to embarrass Judy and Roy now, I'm not going to give their Surnames as publicity is not what they crave. in fact if what they do just gets one more person to ride a bicycle i'm sure they would think all their hard work was worth it.

Judy and Roy organise the annual Frensham Foray fat bike ride on global fat bike day and this is the third year they have done it. they don't do it for money, there is no entry fee, all you need to bring to ride is a fat bike and a smile. they go out of their way to plan the route, organise free food (i say free but they are actually paying for it, sorry embarrassing them again) and a trip to a brewery mid ride. it's all so slickly run and they make it look easy. it isn't easy though, there is a lot of stress involved, as there's no fee there's no guarantee anyone will turn up and the food will be wasted, will people like the route? will the weather play ball? it is December in the UK after all. they could just as easily just go for a ride themselves without all this hassle but they don't because they are good people. they are generous with their precious time and always have a smile. they are such positive people it's hard not to be the same in their company, it's infectious.

I've known Judy and Roy for at least 5 years and i can honestly say I'm a better person now than i was before just from their enthusiasm, kindness, generosity, and positivity rubbing off on me. I'm not perfect, i need a Judy hug now and then to top up my glass half full demeanor and a telling look from Roy over his spectacles when i say something daft, usually involving beer.

they are human though and they were visibly relieved after the ride when everything had turned out perfect, the smiles were there all the time, they just got a tiny bit wider back in the carpark at the end.

now i've gone and done it, they will probably be deeply embarrassed but anyone who has ever met them knows these facts anyway, it's not breaking news. If only a few more people were like these two the world would definitely be a better place and there'd be many more people riding fat bikes!

oh and the ride? best route so far, certainly the warmest weather and the brewery now has a tap room with heating!! I'm sorry to the young lady i spilt my beer over though, she was nice enough to say it didn't matter but i'm sure smelling of beer on the way home wasn't how she envisioned the day!

so sorry Roy and Judy, but also not sorry, thanks so much for organising this and for just being you. 
ride 86
24 miles
total 1837

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