I was reading a recent blog post by a good friend of mine, Dan Harrison aka Danny Boy, and it really got me thinking about how the last three or so years have been so life-changing for both of us, but in very, very different ways. Read Dan’s post, titled The Year that almost Killed Me.
Dan is the founder of The Better Life Cycle (www.betterlifecycle.com) is to “to give some of the world’s most disadvantaged children a better life through education“. Dan set out on his journey in August 2009 to cycle from London to Cape Town, and make a real difference to the people and communities he would come across on the way.
Just eight months later, he was joined on this journey by another good friend, Ken McCallum. Together they started in Sharm El Sheikh and continued along the path due south through sub-Saharan Africa, helping communities as they went along.
At some point they split up on their path – Dan found his calling at a NGO in Ehiopia called Yenege Tesfa, and Ken continued the ride and has now helped many, many orphanages on his route so far. Its a truly inspirational journey they have embarked upon, helping disadvantaged communities in Albania, Syria, Ethopia, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda.
I remember sitting with them in the Ping Pong restaurant in Waterloo sometime in late 2008 or early 2009, and Danny congratulating me as Cruti and I were about to have a baby, and how at the time he would feel quite nervous about bringing a new life into this world (remember saying something like that Danny?). My reply was that the journey he was about to embark on (at that point it was going to be a year-long one) was equally daunting to me, and I was jealous as hell that he was able to do something so life-changing.
Looking back on the last three years in my life, they have been completely different from what Dan and Ken have experienced. Both life-changing, both amazing in their own ways, but so completely different from each other. Cruti and I (and Arav’s grandparents) have had our lives completely transformed by our son’s arrival. At the same time, I’ve had a bit of a rollercoaster ride in starting and building a business or two with all the stuff that comes with that.
Dan and Ken have been riding through half the World, getting deeply involved in helping communities that are making a difference to the lives of children in the poorest parts of Africa and elsewhere. From his blog, Dan describes a death-scare, recouperating in London on the back of that, and as fortunes would have it, meeting Manu, who Danny describes as “the love of his life” who has now joined him in this cycling super-marathon.
Best of luck guys on the rest of your way to Cape Town! Keep making a difference and updating us on progress. When you’re back in London, I’ll introduce you to the little man who’s been keeping me busy these last few years.
You can sponsor the guys by visiting their sponsorship page.
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Really interesting to read your perspective on our efforts Paji. Its certainly been quite an adventure. I hope one day (in the not too distant future) to follow your footsteps into parenthood too. Thanks for the positive vibes. Sending love and best wishes to you Cruti and Arav 🙂
Glad you liked it. Seriously you guys are doing some excellent stuff….also glad to hear the scare was just that and no more! You never know, maybe one day I’ll be saying the same about following in your footsteps, though perhaps not on a bike!