This year, I am not riding for a charity place. I am riding for the fun of it, but it doesn’t mean I am not asking for a favour.
Two years ago, I asked readers whether they could donate to the Dyspraxia Foundation but then the pandemic hit and everyone had far more vital things to concern themselves rather than a silly bear that was going on a ride.
But this year, Ride London is back, and so is this bear on a bike. Please allow me an indulgence and let me talk to you about my daughter.
My daughter is a wonderful person, She is bright, funny, intelligent. But she also has dyspraxia. For many years, we just thought she was clumsy, unfortunately not that good at sports, not able to ride a bike (!). And with a doctor as a grandpa and, alas me as a father, the handwriting wasn’t much cop either but we thought that just maybe a family trait!
However a series of events led us to realise she had dyspraxia. Although not strictly accurate, I’ve always described it as physical dyslexia. Whereas you and I may be able to see the ball coming and kick it back, the wee bear will see the ball coming, raise her leg, if it connects, perhaps take down a jumbo jet and she will fall over anyway.
It is quite an extraordinary sight seeing someone fall over on a flat surface with nothing around them - my daughter calls it tripping over invisible cats - and the bruises are painful to see as a father.
There are also metal health issues and Covid has put a cost on all nuerodiverse people over the last few years.
But people with dyspraxia don’t see themselves as victims. It is simply who they are. And the Dyspraxia Foundation does amazing work supporting them as they go about their lives in a world that until very recently, simply called them clumsy.
Thank you for reading this and please, if you have a couple of quid spare, click and donate as the Foundation only survives on donations.
Training Ride: 4
Distance: 55.23 miles
Elevation: 814ft
Average speed: 14.8mph
Time on bike: 3h 44m
Total distance: 195.8 miles
Time on bike: 13h 13
Days to go: 43
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