I felt like I was hallucinating as I heard the words echo out: “Don’t worry about a thing, ’cause every little thing is going be alright.”
Maybe I was back in hospital on tramadol? Or maybe it was a dream? Am I back Jamaica and about to wake up to the smell of fresh coffee?
No, it was none of that. As my neck vibrated from the rough road under me, I just about managed to lift my gaze in time to see Sir Chris Hoy pedalling past playing Bob Marley.
I smiled and thought, “Let’s try to stick to Chris’ wheel.”
Cycling through Cambodia as part of Chris’ charity cycle has not been easy for me. I’ve been recovering from my last round of radiation. I’ve had a bout of flu and there’s also the fact that I haven’t really been on a bike in a few years except for the odd E-bike.
It’s safe to say I didn’t train for this trip either. In fact, it was all arranged so suddenly that it was only a few weeks ago I decided to go.
A few years ago I would’ve loved the suffering. But when I suffered on the few days of cycling here, I found for the first time I didn’t love it.
The heat and the long days with little recovery had me thinking: “I am not sure I can go on.”
The first day in Cambodia we visited some of the schools and the children the charity ISF Cambodia support and it was incredible to see the money that we raised in Hong Kong is truly changing lives.
As we visited the English class, two of the older students showed us around. It was a beautiful experience which was capped with a game of football.
It struck me again about the power of sport – and especially football – it is being used to not only teach the kids about the beautiful game but to give them life lessons around teamwork, resilience, discipline, and sportsmanship and how these attributes cross over into real life.
As we cycled in our group through the small villages miles away from the city, it was clear to see that some of these people have really suffered.
I came across a lady in her 80s who had lived through the Cambodian Civil War. It was extremely heartwarming, however, to see so many children and what struck us all as a group was how happy and friendly these kids were.
It’s hard to say I’m struggling when I look around and see real struggle all around me. I tried to push on to keep the bike moving, but it was difficult.
My mind was telling me keep going, but it’s like my body wasn’t listening. But as we weaved through this country pass with Bob Marley playing and the sun beating down, I’ve been slowly coming to terms with this likely being my last time to really push on a bike, and with that in mind I could not ask for a better place to do it.
Not just the place but the reason we were all there – to help the
children of Cambodia.
It is also special to be doing it alongside Chris and making memories that I know we will laugh about over coffee in the years to come.
I heard the words, “We are stopping in 10km,” and I told myself, ‘OK David, 1km at a time.”
When we reached the stop I could hardly balance and was helped off my bike and into a seat. I looked at my partner and I asked her, “Please make a decision to tell me to stop.”.
As she looked at me, I can’t repeat what she said. But there was a confirmation on how I felt and this was backed by the wise words of Chris to say this time last year you were lying in a hospital bed and now you’re cycling through Cambodia.
By this time I had covered possibly close to 100km and I made the decision to get on the bus.
As I watched the cyclists ride off, I knew I had made the right decision.
As hard as it was it was the right decision for my health.
This was confirmed later on when I tried to stand and both my legs gave way and at that point I knew day four was going to be spent on the bus too.
I have never not finished a challenge in my life and I don’t see this as quitting. This challenge was all about just making the start line. That was the win for me here.
A few weeks ago I didn’t know I would even be here when I was struck down with flu so to finish two days and almost the third, I am happy.
Actually, the word is content. My boys feels battered but I am content knowing that my cycling career was one of adventure.
I never shy away from a challenge on the bike - or off it.
And ever since 2012 cycling has given me the opportunity to travel the world, race for Great Britain and make a difference to others.
It’s not that I will never cycle again. The great invention of E-bikes will allow me the odd day to ride, but I know this will be the last time that I push my body to such extremes. And if I don’t, I will hold onto the memory of Chris, Jason, my partner and myself cycling to Bob Marley under the sun as we sped through the villages of Cambodia.
