From Brighton to Cromer: Kay's Coast to Coast Journey

A couple of weeks ago, one of our dedicated team members Kay, undertook an extraordinary physical and mental challenge, cycling 240 miles to raise funds for a worthy cause. Here, she shares her experience of participating in this remarkable journey. 

 

In 2022 I took part in a Coast to Coast which ran from Cardiff in South Wales to Rhyll in North Wales. It was a great experience, but I swore I wouldn’t do it again. However, at the start of this year I was asked if I wanted to take part in another challenge and found to my surprise that I was keen to participate. The plan was to cycle 220 miles from Brighton to Cromer in three days. My sponsorship was set up to fundraise for Jubilee church in Hull which has an amazing project to bring a community space to the heart of the city, and I began training in March often riding from my home on the coast to my work in Hull. 

 

After nearly a 1000 miles of practice rides, on July 26th it was time to face the real challenge. Having travelled down the day before with a group of five other cyclists, I took my bike down onto Brighton beach to start with my back wheel in the sea – this tradition ensures that it really is a “Coast to Coast” ride. We then cycled through the town and set off in earnest. Mostly, we cycled on smaller roads but there was some off-roading and the occasional canal path. We had two support vehicles which kept us fed and watered as we travelled. That first day totalled around 76 miles and ended in Enfield, having crossed over the M25 and through the chaos of London. The highlight of the day was travelling through the Greenwich tunnel, under the Thames, which was beautifully cool and relaxed after the heat and pandemonium of London streets. 

The second day was 77 miles of fairly flat travel from Enfield to the beautiful city of Ely. This was supposed to be our “shortest” ride of the tour, but as is often the case the mapping was less than accurate, and detours added miles to the initial estimate. We were very blessed to visit the home of one of the riders in Cambridge on the way for tea and snacks. That evening we stayed in a very strange little guest house. There wasn’t a member of staff in sight for the entire evening – just keys on the desk and signs everywhere to point us to the things we might need. 

 

The last day of cycling had the longest sections of off-roading that we experienced – skirting fields and crossing ditches. Some of this meant carrying our bikes. Due to various injuries from falling off (regrettably more than once), other cyclists in the group had to assist me to get over some of the obstacles. After just over 80 miles of rolling hills, we rode into Cromer and to complete the ride took our bikes down to the beach to put the wheels in the water. 

 

Although three days of riding left me a bit battered and bruised I still loved the whole experience. After nearly 240 miles of physical effort, my main feeling was one of joy at having completed the distance. I cannot even begin to explain the camaraderie that you feel when accomplishing a goal of this type with a group of like-minded people. Added to that is the elation over the generosity of people that donated to my sponsorship fund for Jubilee. This time when I was asked if I might do it again, I couldn’t really say no…. 

 

Kay's completion of the 240-mile bike ride for charity is a testament to her remarkable determination, physical endurance, and compassionate spirit. Her dedication to both the challenging journey and the charitable cause is truly inspiring.