The Proudest Moment of my Life

If someone would have said to me 6 months ago that I would have been able to cycle from London to Paris in 3 days, I would have laughed in their face and told them there is no chance of it happening.

But it did.

Writing this, I can say that this is one of the proudest achievements that I have completed. It's not everyday you meet someone who can tell you they cycled over 200 miles, through the sun, rain and wind to arrive directly in front of the Eiffel tower and be able to say "I made it".

It was a gruelling challenge, that pushed my body and mind both physically and mentally.

Not only do you have to deal with the looming hills and long distances between breaks, but you are also running on very little sleep and relying on sugar and adrenaline.

Day One

My challenge started early, with a 5.30am rise in London to meet at Hersham playing fields. As it was July 1st, I was expecting a calm, summer sunrise but unfortunately this being Britain, we were greeted with the cold, wind and rain.
As we set off in our groups, we cycled out of the busy streets of London and left the city for the rolling hills of Surrey. At this point, as the distance racks up, I started to doubt whether I could pull this off. The hills are steep and challenging, but it is the moments when you see how far you've come, but how far you've got left that are the most difficult.

I have to admit, I did very little training for this. It was my own fault, but training would have helped a lot! However, I did not let this stop me and make me give up! I powered through, determined not to make it into the support vehicle.

After a challenging day, we arrived at Portsmouth in the evening (after the most horrendous hill), proud to have completed day one. A quick shower and some carb loading, and we were boarding the overnight ferry to Caen, ready for day two.

Possibly the worst selfie in the world

Day Two

As 4.45am dawned, we had arrived in Caen with possibly the worst nights sleep ever, having only a chair as our beds. Nevertheless, we prepared ourselves for day two, with 87 miles of the French countryside between us and Evreux.

I have to say, the best parts of this trip are cycling through the picturesque French villages. I stopped for a coffee in one and it looked like a movie set. Just being able to see France like this makes the cycle worth it.

This was the hardest day, with the weather doing all it possibly could to dampen our spirits.
But it did not defeat us, all this hard work and fundraising could not stop me from giving up. As the miles slowly increased, we arrived at Evreux in time for a traditional French meal and a well deserved nights sleep.

Day Three

The final day rolled around, and this time, the 5.30am start was taking its toll on me. However, as soon as we started cycling again, the adrenaline kicked in and the thought of arriving in Paris at the end of the day motivated me to keep going.

After 74 miles, we reached the outskirts of Paris, and together as a team, we cycled through the (rainy) Parisian streets. Thanks to the Euro 2016 football being on, and with France playing that evening, the French morale was high, and this only encouraged us to make it to the Trocadero.

This had to be the best feeling in the world. Seeing the Eiffel Tower in front of you, having cycled there from London, was a euphoric moment. It just proves that no matter what you set your mind to doing, you can achieve it! I have surprised not only my friends and family, but also myself on what I am capable of achieving. This trip was so surreal and I encourage anyone who gets given the opportunity to do something like this to grab it with both hands.

Of course, the most important aspect about this trip was that it was raising money for Breast Cancer Now. Collectively, we raised over £270,000 for the charity, with myself contributing over £1000 to it.

I am so thankful for the generosity of the general public, who helped me to do something so special for the charity and to help save lives in the future. If you still want to donate, then you can at:

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Charlotte-Davis20

On a final note, I would just like to say the biggest thank you to anyone who supported me and donated to this worthy cause. It has really surprised me that although there is so much pain and hatred in this world, love and unity will always conquer.

Thank you for reading this post,

Love,

Charlotte