When I got upgraded from visually impaired to blind I sat in the Red Squirrel on Lothian Road with Morven and we came up with a list of “activities I could do even though I am now registered blind." Amongst things like indoor climbing and kayaking was tandem cycling… skip forward eight years and I got a call from Morven saying that (little did we know) there is a visually impaired tandem group based here in Edinburgh!
This was approximately a year ago and we went for a tryout, she as a “pilot" and me as a “stoker." I enjoyed the hour or so birling round the park but I had not been on a bike since my little red and yellow BMX when I was early double digits, so I could not commit to the longer rides
… but thanks to Morven we managed to borrow a tandem and do a couple of 10 mile tester rides which gave me enough confidence to sign up for the longer rides. I have now been out on a dozen rides this year where we cycled 25 to 35 miles (with a nice lunch break in the middle!!) With just a little trepidation, I have signed up to push myself a little further and hope to complete the 47 mile Poppy Scotland Sportive with my pilot John on the 25th of September (no nice lunch break this time!).
I know times are tough, but if you could find your way to donate a little bit on my behalf then that would be amazing!
Wish me luck and pity my poor bum for the day after the ride!!
Sending love to everyone!! Cat X

Cat Rush