#WorldsStrongestBoys

[londonfresh]

🆆🅾🆁🅻🅳🆂 🆂🆃🆁🅾🅽🅶🅴🆂🆃 🅱🅾🆈🆂 I had to rep for the @worldsstrongestboys whilst out on the @escapedanceholiday this year. Always trying to do my bit by raising awareness of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and the incredible work that @duchenneuk are doing in the fight towards finding a cure to end this disease & save so many lives in the future 🙏🙏🙏. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #WorldsStrongestBoys #DuchenneUk (at Las Playitas, Fuerteventura) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx8Bt6Lpj3w/?igshid=11wrdnd2i6b5q

[notjustsomeofit]

Cycling my way to Paris for Charity!

So you may or may not be aware that myself and two other colleagues are cycling from London to Paris (300kms) in 24hours in early June this year. At first I thought it was just a joke when my boss came into the office 3 months ago explaining that he’d signed us up for the ride, but when the registration email found its way into my inbox I knew he wasn’t kidding. A 300km, 24hr cycle ride isn’t just something one ‘signs up for’ on whim. You see, for one I’m not quite the right ‘build’ to be a cyclist and two, I think the furtherest I have ever cycled in one hit was the 10km ride in the Weetbix Kids Triathlon when I was a wee tacker. But hey, I wasn’t going to back down from a challenge, especially when it is supporting a great cause I can really get behind. 

So what is this amazing cause you ask? Well, great question! The ride is itself is actually part of an event called the Duchenne Dash and is run by the Duchenne UK charity whom like many other charities around the world are trying to raise funds and awareness to help find a cure for the horrible degenerative disease called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD). For those unaware, DMD is one of the most common fatal genetic diseases diagnosed in children and almost always affect boys, and they tend to be diagnosed before the age of 5. The disease itself is classified as a rare disease, it affects approximately 1 in every 3,500 boys that are born but only around 1 in 50 million girls. In the UK there are around 2,500 patients and an estimated 300,000 sufferers worldwide.

Essentially, the children born with Duchenne muscular dystrophy have a fault, known as a mutation, on their dystrophin gene, the longest gene in the body. The fault means that they cannot produce dystrophin, a protein that is vital for muscle strength and function. This lack of dystrophin results in a progressive deterioration of muscle strength between the ages of 6 and 11 and by 12 years many children are confined to a wheelchair. By their late teens most young people with Duchenne lose the ability to move their arms and experience more problems with breathing and with the heart. Heartbreakingly, those with Duchenne do have shortened lives, it is unusual for someone with Duchenne to live beyond their 30s. 

BUT, advances in the management of the condition are increasing life expectancy and enabling more young adults with Duchenne to lead independent lives, and researchers and medical professionals are confident they can find a cure within ten years! 

So it’s an absolute honour to ride for the Worlds Strongest Boys and help End Duchenne in Ten [years].

However, this isn’t just any old ride you can just go out and do. The last few weeks I have spent a good few hours sweating it out on the watt bikes at the gym, but it’s not the same as the real deal and I’ve know realised that people get really grumpy when you hog the bike for over an hour! So, the time has come and I have gone out and brought a bike (2017 Giant Contend), some sexy looking lycra (ladies settle down!) and all the other bits and pieces I should need to get some quality and much needed training in. Now all that I have to do is actually get on me bike, hit the tarmac and cloak up those kilometres. 

So, week one with the new bike has wrapped up. How have I feared? Well for one I am still breathing, which is a great start, because riding on London roads is a lot different to the rural roads of New Zealand, that’s for sure. But, before I hit the road I had to have a wee practice run in the lounge with the clip in pedals as I have never cycled with cleats before so was slightly nervous about being ‘locked’ onto a bike. But much to the amusement of my flat mate Adam, whom watched me struggle, whilst I practiced ‘clipping in’ and ‘clipping off’ I eventually felt confident enough to go out for the maiden voyage the following morning around the nearby Victoria park. 

However, the ‘big’ training ride kicked off on Saturday and as some of you may have seen on my Instagram, it wasn’t without it’s dramas. The day was a cracker, a nice [rare] blue sky spring day, a slight breeze and a barmy 12 degrees - ideal novice cycling conditions.

Things, started off well I found myself the east London ‘super cycle highway’ which sounds a lot more exciting than it actually is, and followed that out of the city for several miles. But, eventually I lost track of the signs and ended up on the A13 (a dual carriageway) which I thought was alright, the classic ‘she’ll be right kiwi attitude’ and to be fair I wasn’t too bothered by the cars buzzing past me. But when I got to the M25 junction (the large circular motorways that stretches the whole way round London) I found myself in the middle of the round-a-bout Googling “Can you cycle on ‘A’ roads?” I knew that motorways where a no go but I had an strong feeling ‘A’ roads were also a no go, bearing in mind I had already been cycling on the A13 for some 5 miles now. So I came to the conclusion, with the help of some off stares from drivers, that I shouldn’t be there and quickly weaved my way through the traffic off the nearest side road. lesson one learnt. 

So I kept going, on the roads I was allowed to cycle on, and went for about another hour, until I got hungry and decided to turn. Lesson two - takes some form of snack with me next time. However, to be fair by this time I had been riding for almost an hour and 45 minutes so it probably was a good time to head back. Everything was going smoothly, I didn’t get lost, I stayed away from the motorways had a relatively smooth cycle back into London, until I made it to the nearby suburbs to my house and managed to score myself a flat tyre. At which point I thought I would make an Instagram video explaining my bad luck on the first long distance ride. Now videoing yourself, you would think is a harmless task right? But, I suddenly found myself surrounded by 6 younger guys whom were trying to be intimidating asking “why the f**k I was videoing them” clearly they had something to hide. But I talked myself out of the potentially hostile situation and explained “No, I am simply videoing myself, it’s all good”....”I have better things to do than play Cops and Robbers and dob you guys in” (not that I actually said this) but you get the idea. So lesson three, don’t take selfies in the park when there are troublesome ‘youths’ in the vicinity.

So a potentially hostile situation resolved, I found a motorbike shop and asked if I could pump up my tyre. Only to realise that it wasn’t just a flat tyre but indeed a puncture, damnit! So I began the remaining 3 mile walk home in my socks as I didn’t want to ruin my knew cycling shoes. But lucky for me, my two Knights in shining armour (or lycra should I say) rode past and offered me a replacement tube and whether I needed any help, I said I wasn’t too far off home and I will be okay but they insisted and welcomed me into the ‘cycling community’ - that’s right, I am now a member of the prestigious ‘cycling community’ and we have each others backs! So lucky for me I got to finish the last leg of the cycle on my bike instead of walking my bike in central London in bare feet. So, lesson four, I need to invest in a puncture kit and pump to take with me on rides from now on. 

But, dramas aside, the 3.5 hour, 55km ‘adventure’ came to and end. I got home had some food and soaked in the bath to recover! A solid first up effort I think, and already I am looking forward to week two! But seriously, who knew cycling could be so fun and eventful? 

But, it’s not all about the fun! I do need to raise some decent money too! My colleagues and I have set a hefty goal of £12,000! So we (Team Oritain) would be very very grateful if you could spare any pound or dollar and support our amazing cause! I have already made a public pledge that for the first, single £1000 donation, in preparation for the ride, I will get an aerodynamic full body wax. I will also be coming up with other quirky ways to raise money so stay tuned, or if you have any suggestions on how I or Team Oritain can raise the much needed funds please do get in touch. 

Until then, here is the link to our Virgin Money Giving page - every little bit helps!  http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserPage.action?userUrl=OritainUK&pageUrl=2

For more info on the cause we are support check out their page: https://www.duchenneuk.org/

[magscoonley]

And just like that, we have a 10 year old! 👦🏼🎂🥳 The doctors feared our Heart Hero wouldn’t last a day, and now Magnusson is still going strong an decade later! 😁🌟❤️

[caringforconnor]

Our table picture with some parents to the #WorldsStrongestBoys....#duchenne family 💙. Thank you @DuchenneUK for an incredible evening raising 300k for research 💪 xx

[londonfresh]

Even on the other side of the World I'm still repping @worldsstrongestboys & @duchenneuk in my bid to help raise awareness of the Duchenne Muscular dystrophy disease and the amazing work that Duchenne UK are doing in the fight to find a cure and save the lives of so many young boys in the future 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 #Duchenne #DuchenneUK #WorldsStrongestBoys (at Chichen Itza - Ruinas Mayas - Mexico) https://www.instagram.com/p/BozC2z_FDLd/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1iioxkqa9g03w

[londonfresh]

Today we did It again. Round 2- 'Worlds Strongest Boys Power Ride". Had to repost this post because I felt that it was so honest and sums up pretty much what happened in the studio this Morning. A bit of an early Monday Motivation for you all 💪💪💪 Repost @wildcatfit ... Worlds Strongest Boys.... an absolute honour to ride at @psyclelondon with the amazing @anthony_a_d to raise awareness of @duchenneuk and their Worlds Strongest Boys campaign. Duchenne is a muscle wasting disease that affects young boys - many of whom won't live to see their 20th Birthday. These boys can't do the things their friends can - play football, climb trees, ride their bikes - even walking and standing becomes impossible for those who suffer. They cannot use their muscles - yet they battle through with mental strength - hence they ARE the Worlds Strongest Boys.AD lead us through a tough but constantly inspiring ride this morning - reminding us that however hard it got we have the extreme privilege of our health, fitness and strength - therefore we should use it for those who can't.How many times have you missed reps, turned your resistance down, hopped off the treadmill or lowered your weights because you tell yourself you "can't"? It may be tough, but the reality is you and I CAN - but so many people (including those who suffer from Duchenne) genuinely, physically cannot. However hard your workouts get this week please remember - you can. Our health is such an honour - so please take a moment to appreciate what your body can do, and spare a thought for those whose bodies cannot. Thank you AD for the motivation this morning - and please have a look at the @duchenneuk Instagram account to find out how you can help to support the #worldsstrongestboys 💪🏼...#duchenneuk #endduchenne #grateful #thankful #psyclelondon #inspiration//#repogram

[londonfresh]

So this happened yesterday evening. We rode a 60 minute power ride to support @worldsstrongestboys & @duchenneuk - It was super tough but we all ploughed through and came out on the other side full of sweat, smiles and strength. Check out the @duchenneuk profile for more info on the work they do and join me for one more class this Sunday at 10.30am at Mortimer Street💪💪💪 #WorldsStrongestBoys (at Psycle Shoreditch)

[caringforconnor]

Absolutely amazing evening with @duchenneuk for the #worldsstrongestboys. Incredible generorsity and a fantastic amount raised for #duchenne. Even managed a selfie with @vernonkay lol x

[caringforconnor]

Bloods, bloods, bloods and more bloods and a failed one, he's been like a human pin cushion today. Ecgs, mri scan, physio, photos, pokes, prodded and a walk test. He wasn't feeling brave before we left home on Wednesday but his braveness shone through as per usual. With his hulk teddy and a #worldsstrongestboys t-shirt he done like a trooper. So proud of this little kids and not a tear insight 💪👊💙

[londonfresh]

Happy to officially announce that I'm now an Ambassador for the @duchenneuk on their @worldsstrongestboys campaign alongside these Awesome heroes @4fitnessake @gabriel_sey & @taralondon - ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We are all helping to raise awareness of the Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy disease and are doing our bit to support Duchenne UK in the hopes that 1 day they can find a cure and save so many young lives. Watch this space 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #TheWorldsStrongestBoys #DuchenneUK

[londonfresh]

This week I am teaching 2 Extra tough rides, helping to raise awareness of the Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Disease @duchenneuk and the @worldsstrongestboys campaign. The classes will consist of even more Strength work and some heavy resistance riding 💪💪💪 .............................................................. "Let's use our muscles to help boys who are losing theirs" Wednesday 4/10- 6.30pm @ Psycle Shoreditch (1hr) Sunday 8/10- 10.30am @ Psycle Mortimer St (1hr) .............................................................. For more news and info on the charity, details on other events, or info on how to make donations or get involved with the charity follow @duchenneuk #TheWorldsStrongestBoys

[londonfresh]

World's Strongest Boys My Monday motivation is these guys and the @duchenneuk charity. If you're not familiar with their story please just take 3 minutes to check out their Weblink in their bio and help raise awareness on these awesome young people and the charity working to help better their lives...............................................I had the pleasure of hearing their stories 1st hand when I met the founders of the charity and their stories have stuck with me since. Such an inspiration. #YesWeCan #worldsstrongestboys #duchenneuk #charity #MakeAChange #inspiration #mondaymotivation #strong #strength

[londonfresh]

#Repost @psyclelondon with @repostapp ・・・ Think this is strong? Check out the @worldsstrongestboys #WorldsStrongestBoys. We're so proud to be apart of this amazing campaign. Please do check it out 👆🏼 Thanks @salnidai @ollieblackfit @kevindmcguire @anthony_a_d @bodbyrodpt for taking part. (at Psycle Canary Wharf)