And we are off...
It has been a long time since Iast wrote on here! I've spent the year training and prepping myself for this epic challenge, where I am going to be attempting to wheel my everyday non-sport wheelchair from John O'Groats to Lands end. If I make it, it will be my 5th world record and a world 1st (no pressure then!)
So this morning at 8am the journey began from Exeter, where I live, to Gretna Green in Scotland. It took a massive 9 hours. We have a lovely support vehicle kindly sponsored by BYD. The car is stunning. Very high tech, which is terrifying for someone like me, who gets a state if the art phone, and never uses it for anything other than emails, music and photos! 🤣 Fortunately my wife, Cat, is with me for the first 2 weeks to teach me and the other members how to use it! I'm normally pretty good with new tech. Show me once and I tend to get it! Until I don't! 🤣
Fortunately I'm going to be wheeling in front of it the whole way down the country. It's a long way. To be honest, I havnt really thought of the event as a whole. I can't allow myself to do that. Even a tiny thought of the sheer magnitude of wheeling nearly 1000 miles makes me sick to my stomach. So I just think, it's just another training session. I've had a break now for 5 days, and training resumes on Tuesday the 27th of August, until 10th of October. I will be covering 36 marathons in total. One every day, with a day off to go into rugby clubs. It is a rugby relay, where I'm hoping to spread the word about womens rugby, and how inspiring it is. I will be passing a ball from club to club on the way through the country, and demonstrating the connectivity within women's rugby. Women's rugby came to me at a time when I was suffering alot. With CRPS, I suffer all the time. My pain level does not drop below 8/10. So some days it's hard to find reasons to keep going with this crazy ride called life, but I have found so many reasons since finding this incredible sport and the women who play it. They are phenomenal. Their grit, determination, and motivation, and love of the game, is so inspiring. All the players I've met are so lovely too. So I'm doing this for them. But also for 2 amazing charities, the Aaron Lewis Foundation and the Exeter Chiefs Foundation. 2 charities which are close to my heart. Also, to demonstrate to everyone, that if you have adversity in your life, like I have, you don't have to give up on sport, or your dreams. You can adapt and overcome and even make new ones!
So this was the start of this journey! It rained like mad half the way, and then unexpectedly, the sun came out as we approached Scotland. We are staying literally 2 minutes over the border. The Days inn is quite nice, and functional. No food for me to eat anywhere (I'm the awkward allergic to gluten person!). So Fortunately I've got half a roll from this morning and a packet of crisps! Not the best start to an epic endurance event, but I've trained on less! As long as I get food tomorrow, that the most important thing! So it's off to bed for me in a minute, and hopefully a good night if sleep 🙏 Ready for phase 2 of the journey up to the start line. This has been 4 years in the making. 4 years since I sat in my kitchen in my clunky wheelchair and asked my wife the question 'do you think I could wheel this from John O'groats to Lands end?'.
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- End2End
- World record
- Crps
- Endurancetraining
- Wheelchair athlete
Lexi Chambers