Remarkable Women

A brilliant evening at a talk with Ken. Easier just to put what I said on Social Media afterwards:

I want to share some thoughts on an evening listening to two remarkable women, at an event organised by @edfoc last night (apologies if this is a slightly incoherent ramble). Those two women? @emilychappell and @sgalpin 1/19

I know (of) Emily as a bike courier, going back to the days when we both posted on the same cycling forum (I didn’t go bounding up afterwards, like an excited Labrador, with “I know you!”, that would have been a bit weird) 2/19

But I remember hearing tales of some long distance, exotic adventures, and being in awe back then (note, I NEVER thought to myself, “Isn’t that a bit dangerous?”). But last night wasn’t really about ‘and then I saw this amazing thing, and then I saw this other amazing thing’ 3/19

Instead it was a discussion more just about life, with cycling at the forefront, sure, but where life winds its merry way, with challenges and being challenging, along the way. It just happens to be in the saddle 4/19

I’ll not bore you with a line-by-line, but just go back to one of the things that stuck with me. Early on she mentioned having to think about the ‘impact’ her travels had. Immediately my mind went to flights, to sustainability, and…. I scoffed…. 5/19

How could this possibly be a concern? You’re on a bike, you try to ride ‘to’ places…. Then came the story of Pakistan, and being given a police escort while cycling, and everyone being terribly happy, and not thinking anything of it 6/19

Then hearing (a matter of weeks?) later that another cyclist being afforded the same entourage had seen the group attacked and a number of the escort being killed. Impact hiding in plain sight. Sure, there was a risk to her, but by doing what she loved she was putting OTHERS at risk 7/19

That was a sobering thought, and even for a bog-standard package holiday, there will be certain considerations that, while not identical to that situation in Pakistan, will be similarly hidden, but very real 8/19

(as an aside, as a repeat visitor to the Western Isles and other remote Scottish places, and seeing the impact of things like the North Coast 500, I appreciated the thoughts towards revisiting, rather than always seeking new) 9/19

I figured that was the end of the night. I was with Ken (I feel I always have to point out, the world’s fastest handcyclist, because he’s too modest about it) and it was nice to catch up with @laidbackbikes and @kim_harding. Chatting with them lead to meeting @sgalpin 10/19

Afghanistan had been mentioned a couple of times on stage, which sounded amazing, but thoughts didn’t go much further. Anyway, it turns out Shannon didn’t just visit Afghanistan, oh no…. 11/19

She spent years there, working with Afghan women, helping them learn how to cycle, the bike taking the form of social justice. and also letting women cycle for sport in the country for the first time. Then in 2021 it all changed 12/19

With the Taliban back in charge focus shifted to evacuating many of these women from the country to safety. Many are in Canada, and recently another three were rescued to Seattle, via camps in the UAE. 13/19

I was speechless. And I don’t mean that as any form of hyperbole. Genuinely, for the first time in a long time, I couldn’t formulate the words to express just how amazing this was. 14/19

Heading home there was an overwhelming sense of, if I’m honest…. inadequacy. I haven’t touched on a fraction of the advocacy and activism that both Emily and Shannon are involved in. 15/19

But it also later struck me that most of the remarkable people I’ve met lately have been women. And this isn’t confirmation bias, it isn’t me nibbling tofu while trying to be woke. I’ve been thinking back to sustainability activities I’ve been involved in with work. 16/19

I’ve thought back to working with the Scottish Wildlife Trust. To people I’ve heard talking passionately about subjects that could, and should, change the world. To @goldingmel and everything we’re trying to change with our lives in this little green corner of the middle of nowhere 17/19

And instead of feeling inadequate, I’m now feeling a tiny touch more optimistic (which in the current shambles of the world is really saying something). And I want to be part of that change, so I’m going to keep going in my own little ways. 18/19

I’ll continue trying to be an ally. I don’t care if you don’t like seeing me list my pronouns. And frankly I’m fucking proud to be woke (also, have you tried Mapo Tofu? Seriously dude). 19/19