"Once in a lifetime experience" for Falkirk teacher who cycled round Cuba to raise £7500 for Strathcarron Hospice

Kirsty Clarke spent part of her October break completing the fundraising challenge which she describes as “a once in a lifetime experience”.

The 36-year-old had intended to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for the Fankerton-based charity, however a knee injury meant that was no longer possible.

Instead of giving up, the PE teacher found herself a new challenge to complete so her fundraising efforts and the generosity of friends and family who had sponsored her would still go to the charity.

Kirsty was one of 20 people completing the cycle, with others coming from across the UK and one German.

She said: “It was really inspiring to meet the other people. There were a real mix of people coming together. Some were doing it for charity, some weren’t. I was the second youngest and there were others in their 60s. It was inspiring to hear all their stories.

“We all worked as a team and it was almost like we were a family. There were different paces and abilities but you’d always have someone to ride with. No one was left on their own.

“It was an amazing experience. It really opened my eyes to how other people live – the conditions they live in and their way of life.

“It’s a lot more simple. It gave me time to reflect on how busy life is here.”

The cycle itself was a huge challenge for Kirsty and the others in the group.

She said: “It was so tough. We were on the bikes for five days and it was so hot. Most days it was mid 30s and two days it was 38 degrees.

"The first day was pretty simple as it was pretty flat, but the next two or three days had a lot more climbs. There were days you wanted to give up. They were long days and it was so hot.

“I had a collision with another lady and hurt my wrist. It was a suspected fracture, but it turned out just to be a sprain.

“The hardest point was when we couldn’t really get in touch with home. There was no wifi in some hotels and when I’d injured myself it was hard not to be able to make contact with my family and I was battling to keep going. The spirit of everyone in the team kept me going. The morale was so inspiring.”

Kirsty is delighted to have completed the cycling challenge and to have raised so much for Strathcarron.

She said: “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. It’s made me want to continue with my cycling and to enjoy a slower pace of life.

“Cuba is an amazing country, the people are amazing and the culture is amazing. Their pace of life is much slower than ours and it made me realise it’s okay to slow down and even stop sometimes.

"I’ve finally made my family and friends proud. I’ve passed £7500 for Strathcarron now and I’m chuffed with that. I’m overwhelmed by the support I’ve had, everyone has been great and so kind.

"Even after I had my fall, Strathcarron was that motivation to continue. I ended up with a sprained wrist but I thought rest and you can still do this. There are people that are worse off and that kept me going.

"It was the trip of a lifetime I’ll never forget. I’m sad it’s over. After all the training and focus on it, I’m now asking what I can do next.

"I’m going to keep up the cycling and maybe do a challenge that’s more local in future.”