Sue Giles has been a long term supporter of Rhino Revolution UK. Each year, she makes a JustGiving page to cover the whole season and picks five or six cycle events to take part in over the year to raise money for us. The highlight of the season is the Prudential Ride London 100, a one hundred mile cycle ride that follows the route taken by the professional road cyclists in the London Olympics and as an event, has taken place every year since 2013. She, along with a few friends, has taken part every year, either through the ballot or taking charity places. Other events include local sportives in the New Forest and a couple of larger events further afield.
This year, she managed to get the first ride done, back in early March, then the virus crisis hit and all events were cancelled. The next ride, in April, was a virtual ride of 100 miles, where the organisers said it could be completed indoors on a turbo trainer, or outside, over several rides to comply with government exercise guidelines. She finished the 100 miles by the 11th April so increased her challenge to ride 250 miles during the month of April. Completing that on the 29th! All with trusty companions Ubuntu and Raspberri.
For May’s challenge, she decided to do a triathlon: rowing 10kms (indoors), ride 50.3kms, then run 10kms making a total of 70.3kms. That is the distance in miles that is covered in a half Ironman competition! Of course, she chose the hottest day of the year and while the row and the ride were fine, she says she found the run a bit of a struggle. However, she still completed the challenge in five hours forty minutes in total!
So far, in June, she hasn’t set a physical challenge (whew!) but instead, is spending several hours a day sewing cloth face masks, recycled from materials that would have went to the charity shop, for family and friends for donations to her JustGiving page. Due to the popularity of the masks, she has extended the offer to make them for local businesses in her village and her colleagues in Community First Responder team that she volunteers for.
This years goal was to raise £500 to buy a couple of infrared cameras so that the team in Hoedspruit can monitor the lucky five and also to provide added security for the orphans. However, as of June 8th (2020), she has exceeded that goal and has reset her target to £800, (think she may have to reset it again soon!), and has decided to contribute to our dehorning appeal.