And we are off with a bang!
About 40 staff, parents and friends arrived at The Key School this morning, braving the unseasonal chilliness of an early autumn to say farewell to our two intrepid cyclists at the start of their 2 265 km journey to Cape Town. Rachel Tambo our new patron (accompanied by her husband Dali Tambo) said a few beautiful words in farewell. As a cyclist in her own right, she described what it is like riding on roads with car whizzing past at 120 km, that one feels them going past and that it is skrikky to say the least. Thanks so much Rachel, you added an unexpected warmth to the farewell and I really appreciate your support in our venture .
James Killops, one of our pupils, had a few words to say too, saying that The Key School is the best school in the whole wide world (as if we didn't know that already!).
There were few dry eyes as we departed down Rhodes Avenue and then over horrendous speed bumps in Gale Road :)
I write as we are driving with five macho Think Bike marshalls on ausome motorcycles escorting us out of Johannesburg, dodging traffic, hugging narrow and uneven shoulders and being ushered through robots (even the red ones that are working!).
The cyclists are looking good. We did 12 kms before stopping at a Saverite store in Florida to fill up a trolley with R600 worth of sponsored food. We bought some fresh food for breakfast tomorrow morning - bacon and eggs of course! Tonight we stop off at a teacher's farm near Potchefstroom where we will be spoilt with a braai for supper.
I am in the Honda CRV sponsored by Honda West Rand being driven by Roland Murphy, Shaun's dad.
Good luck Shaun and Pieter and thank you to Leigh and Rene for giving up your husband and fiance respectively for nearly a month to cycle for autism!!
Thinking of all of you. :-)
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