charity – Just a Girl and a Bike

{Welcome back my feature series on those who have inspired me on my journey. Today’s post is about one the fastest, most dedicated athletes I know. And, everyone loves her because she exudes positivity, encouragement and support. If you missed Strength and Spirit, My Warrior Friend be sure to check it out!!!}

The other day, as I finished one of my regular, moderate runs, I glanced at my running watch to see that I had accomplished about 5 km in about 34 minutes. Not bad, fairly consistent – I was happy with that. As I uploaded my data, I browsed around on Facebook, and came across Melissa’s results for the 10 km race she had just finished that morning. She had reached her goal, a personal best, and a time of 39:10 for 10 km!!! Wow, I thought. How does she do that?

finish-line — Melissa full of winning attitude

I am constantly thinking how does she do that when it comes to Melissa. It just seems that she is always accomplishing another amazing win! She has been most known for her running. She has been competing at many distances for a long time. Since I have met her, she has continuously expanded her horizons. She took on the road racing world with a bang. With only two seasons under her belt, she has already moved up a category and has multiple podium finishes. She has taken on cross country skiing with zest, and recently entered the world of cross biking. The whole time, she is chasing down and challenging her equally speedy husband, Reinier, who is clearly the passion of her life. During a recent foot injury when she could not bike or run, she focused on swimming – something that she knew nothing about. She simply looks at something, and does it. Continue reading “Fast and Gracious: Mel the Running Rabbit” →

{Welcome to my feature series on those who have inspired me on my journey. Today’s post is about someone who with intense drive and motivation to overcome real challenges. If you missed The Dark Horse, Grit and Determination, or a Guide on My Journey, be sure to check them out!}

I met Kate in Belgium. My husband, James, and I were there for classics week. We would be attempting amateur versions and watching the real professional versions of several of the hardest one day races in the world. Little did I realize at the time how fitting it would be to meet Kate in such a setting.

Kate is about the same height as me, or rather, has the same lack of height as I do! At four foot ten, we can hardly brag about our stunted stature. At the time, her hair was nearly the same colour and length as mine was. The icing on the cake was her punchy attitude that matched my own. She was very quickly deemed to be my ‘more aggressive twin’. Everyone in the group that we were staying with agreed with this, despite the fact that we had known each other for less than a week.

chatting — Me on the left, Kate in the middle, our gracious host Holly on the right.

Continue reading “My More Aggressive Twin: Kate” →