Nadia Akhtar, whose father Munir has PSP, jumped in the saddle and cycled 400km from Vietnam to Cambodia, for PSPA.
The super cyclist, from Rochdale, tells her story.
“After months of dedicated training and a great deal of momentum, I successfully completed this challenge, amidst temperatures ranging from 35-39oC throughout.
I started in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and cycled through cities, across beautiful, lush green rice paddy fields, coconut plantations, past small fishing villages and rural settings, over more than 60 extremely steep bridges through the beauty of the Mekong Delta and ended up at the wonderful Angkor Wat, UNESCO World Heritage Sites at Siem Reap in Cambodia.
This was a tough challenge in many ways. I was up at 5.30am daily and started cycling between 6.30-7am, usually finishing around 5pm. The schedule was gruelling, as was the humidity at over 80%.
Most days felt as though someone had directed a powerful hairdryer in my face at the hottest possible setting!
Whilst cycling I was chased by dogs, chickens, butterflies and greeted by teams of amazingly cheery, local children of all ages, eager to practice their English on me as I cycled past. What better sideline support could I ask for?!
This was a truly magnificent experience. In total, I cycled 410kms. I got to enjoy some beautiful scenery and raise money for a charity I care about deeply (the half a stone I lost whilst away didn’t hurt either).’’
