How wonderful to know that there's a Santander bike with your name on it, Emily! I wonder if anyone will be so inspired by your example that they attempt the Transcontinental on it...
We all need people who inspire us. But like you I struggle with the word 'hero'. Perhaps it's because it has become a cliche, loved by tabloid reporters. Billionaire footballers are routinely called heroes for winning a game. It's like the British honours system, which rewards huge numbers of time-serving politicians with knighthoods, while handing out lower baubles to people who do amazing things for their local community. I hesitate to suggest the phrase role model as an alternative, as that sounds like corporate jargon, but it may be more apt in many cases.
PS: the head of comms for the company I used to work for joked that someone could never receive an 'unsung' award twice as after the first they were now 'sung'...
Thank you @Emily Chappell for the friendship, the feature, and the memorable ride last Tuesday. I certainly don’t see myself as a hero, unsung or otherwise and I have a lot more to reflect on about that, though I know we may chat about it soon.
Despite how I feel about the word, I’m so grateful to see you celebrated in this way. You are truly inspirational to me. I admire your story, your adventures, and the confidence you instil in all of us to take up space.
Enjoy this moment. The way I see it, we’re celebrating how the people who nominated us see us and that’s something I never take for granted.
Thank you for riding my bike & letting me ride yours. That memory will stay with me.
I'll be in London in a few weeks and eagerly looking for your Unsung Heroes bike. I love this article. Obviously, you're also a hero to many (me included!), but I think your points are important. It has really made me rethink putting people on a pedestal to justify them not being properly compensated for their work, whatever the appropriate compensation may be.
In terms of an unsung hero, I think I'd really like to point someone out, well, plenty of people. We all need to start recognising ourselves as heroes in our own lives, especially in cycling, and particularly ultra-cycling.
It's so easy to compare ourselves to others on Instagram, Strava, the tracking map, etc., but every single day that we go out, we inspire ourselves, and often we overlook that. Comparison is the thief of joy. There are so many amazing riders out there who aren't accepting their own brilliance!
P.S. Saying all that, Jade Simpson Field is an unsung hero in ultra-cycling!
How wonderful to know that there's a Santander bike with your name on it, Emily! I wonder if anyone will be so inspired by your example that they attempt the Transcontinental on it...
We all need people who inspire us. But like you I struggle with the word 'hero'. Perhaps it's because it has become a cliche, loved by tabloid reporters. Billionaire footballers are routinely called heroes for winning a game. It's like the British honours system, which rewards huge numbers of time-serving politicians with knighthoods, while handing out lower baubles to people who do amazing things for their local community. I hesitate to suggest the phrase role model as an alternative, as that sounds like corporate jargon, but it may be more apt in many cases.
PS: the head of comms for the company I used to work for joked that someone could never receive an 'unsung' award twice as after the first they were now 'sung'...
Thank you @Emily Chappell for the friendship, the feature, and the memorable ride last Tuesday. I certainly don’t see myself as a hero, unsung or otherwise and I have a lot more to reflect on about that, though I know we may chat about it soon.
Despite how I feel about the word, I’m so grateful to see you celebrated in this way. You are truly inspirational to me. I admire your story, your adventures, and the confidence you instil in all of us to take up space.
Enjoy this moment. The way I see it, we’re celebrating how the people who nominated us see us and that’s something I never take for granted.
Thank you for riding my bike & letting me ride yours. That memory will stay with me.
I'll be in London in a few weeks and eagerly looking for your Unsung Heroes bike. I love this article. Obviously, you're also a hero to many (me included!), but I think your points are important. It has really made me rethink putting people on a pedestal to justify them not being properly compensated for their work, whatever the appropriate compensation may be.
In terms of an unsung hero, I think I'd really like to point someone out, well, plenty of people. We all need to start recognising ourselves as heroes in our own lives, especially in cycling, and particularly ultra-cycling.
It's so easy to compare ourselves to others on Instagram, Strava, the tracking map, etc., but every single day that we go out, we inspire ourselves, and often we overlook that. Comparison is the thief of joy. There are so many amazing riders out there who aren't accepting their own brilliance!
P.S. Saying all that, Jade Simpson Field is an unsung hero in ultra-cycling!