![](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/fa759a_6e85f6298d1840b781e69eb2e512792b~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_70,h_94,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,blur_2,enc_auto/fa759a_6e85f6298d1840b781e69eb2e512792b~mv2.png)
My bike carried me through everything in the last few years. The recovery from two slipped discs in my back and the threat of surgery and permanent immobility. The loss of my biological mother I had never known. My mental health crisis. The withdrawal from medication and its horrendous side effects. The coronavirus and the re-emergence of anxiety and its disrupting effects on every aspect of my life. My bike reminds me that I am still here, a constant companion through challenging times. I’m being carried along the beautiful countryside, just through a simple stroke of a pedal.