IHD Cyprus and MyPathfinder.com are sponsoring Alain Ritchie on a charity bicycle ride from London, England to Paris, France; a ride of almost 500km in only 4 days, ranging from a Pic Courtesy Skyline Events‘leisurely’ 100km on one day to a leg aching 150km on another, which will begin on September 9th.

The London to Paris charity cycle is a great experience and a fabulous challenge. A challenge like this is not just about distances covered or start and finishing points, the bike ride is about group effort, friendship and more importantly spirit.

Over 120 people will be taking part, all of them amateurs and most of them very new to the world of cycling. While the organisers have provided training advice to all participants, many of them will have cycled further than the end of their street before now. As a result, the challenge of cycling over 100km per day, for four consecutive days will be real and significant for many.

In their own small way, every person taking part in this event is demonstrating some or all of the qualities of a Pathfinder. For many, it is a step into the unknown. Something they feel passionate about doing but have no real evidence to confirm that they will succeed. Having a clear vision of what they want to achieve, in terms of both completing the event and raising money for a good cause enables them to develop that passion which, in turn, fuels their belief that they can succeed. As challenges arise along the way, anxiety, caution and fear may creep into the minds of some. The challenge for the rest of the group is to then recreate the vision of success and make it so compelling that every single person taking want is determined to be a part of that success.

Many of the leadership lessons which Neal Crofts talked about in his blog on the Tour de France (below) are applicable to some extent on this event too – however, the real difference is that on this event, each individual is competing against themselves, rather than against everyone else. At times, that can be much harder.

We wish Alain well in his efforts to complete the event and applaud him for raising money towards his chosen charity – the development of schools and teaching equipment for street kids in Kenya. If you would like to learn more about the charity in question or would like to sponsor Alain yourself, please visit his donation web site at http://www.justgiving.com/alainritchie