"Less than a minute into our day 2 charity cycle ride the nagging rain took on a more physical force
and like an ice bucket challenge dumped a heavy stream of water on us at the red traffic light. The
heavens had opened! Does rain from heaven symbolise abundance and blessings? We were hoping
so, hoping that the charity donation total kept increasing by the time all the riders had rolled into
Bruges.

The traffic lights turned green and on we went, heads down against the wind. The riders rode
though Calais, Flanders, over the unassuming border into Belgium with the water attacking at every
angle, from the sky above, the back wheel from the cyclist in front, the puddles from below and the
passing lorries’ surface wave. We were getting colder and wetter by the minute but were fuelled by
coffee, dodgy tasting energy gels and most importantly the treasured messages from our children wishing us luck and love. The memories of the cheers and posters from the St Osmund’s school
community were summoned to distract us from our increasingly numb hands and feet. We continued pedalling.

There were slides, punctures, collisions into bushes, momentary “sense of humour failure”, falls,
wasp bites, escapes from a chasing Alsation dog, chain gangs to hold off the shivers, blurred vision,
saturated ‘waterproof’ clothing, uncontrolled shaking close to hypothermia. We wanted to overcome this sopping obstacle, riding together. As we approached Bruges along the canal, the rain lessened, the sun emerged, and a rainbow was spotted. We had done it! We had been determined to raise money for the kids at St Osmund’s to keep flourishing, and for Shooting stars childrens’ hospice. The amount of rainfall that fell during our 8 hours of cycling probably couldn’t come close to represent the amount of tears that must be shed by families with a child with a life limiting condition. We kept pedalling for a charity whose nurses and carers support brave, wonderful
children with complex medical needs, and provide holistic care for the family through to bereavement. We imagine they help the rainbows to be spotted as well as shooting stars." - Anna W.