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Hi Nicky
I am sorry that this is a belated message but I just wanted to let you know that you are a true inspiration and your sheer determination to achieve great things is admired by many.
You have done an amazing job and accomplished things some can only dream of. Be proud!
I hope that you are getting some well deserved rest now.
Thank you from all of us at Disability Snowsport UK for your enormous efforts in helping raise awareness of the charity. We are all extremely grateful to you and your supporters.
Wishing you all the best for the future and to the next Iron Man!!! |
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A belated attempt to add my own words of praise and admiration for Nicky's prolific efforts! Quietly, I spent 10-days in the background as I witnessed Nicky navigate the bike from Compiegne to Nice – an adventure of true courage and guts. And all this against the back drop of a dodgy knee, which had other ideas to disrupt this notable extreme challenge. The terrain was awesome – tough ascents, followed by equally hair-raising descents; the scenery immense, the pain intense, but still Nicky battled on despite the evident personal frustration and disappointment. From my perspective, this was a truly courageous human effort, a major physical undertaking and that’s without contemplating the Ironman France ‘warm down’ factor at the end of the charity bike ride marathon across the French countryside! Punishingly tough for much of the journey, and for that sole reason, I can only commend Nicky for being such a determined and focused person, particularly when the odds were stacked against her. Therefore, I would appeal to all of you who have promise monies for these noble causes to honour your respective pledges as I know that Nicky, with a bit more luck, would have fully completed her aims and objectives if her knee had not got the better of her. Throughout, she always put on a brave and positive face, but it was obvious to me the sheer aggravation and distress that was being caused. Nicky really gave 100% and more - those of you who know her a lot better than I do must be immensely proud of her achievements……..I certainly am. |
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Proud parents' view of a Terrific Nice-Tri-Nicky.
High No. 1: Nicky rounding Vence bend in great style. Luckily the local gendamerie had got their act together by then; it took them a while.
Low: Too excited to get that photo.
High No. 2: Wine, food and coffees with Claire plus her input.
Low: but where was Nicky? Info. black-out.
High No. 3: Dazzling Nice and cooling down in the Med. but
Low: still no news
High No. 4: Watching the later cyclists and the Marathoners, some zombie like by then, to-ing and fro-ing along The Promenade but not having to do it ourselves.
HIGH No. 5. Nicky appears on our beach café, cheerful and knowing it was her P.B. A happy hour with her mates, knee-icing, tales of Walker/Hall determination and talk of ballons de rouge .
High No. 6. 10.30 pm Those fireworks
A la prochaine fois.........M.&P. |
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What a weekend! Full of so many highs and lows but I think I can speak for Nicky's parents and Nicky as well as myself in saying it was a pretty amazing weekend. After disrupting Nicky's beauty sleep (well she doesn't need any after all this cycling...move over Kate Moss!)on Thursday night with my 3am arrival, we had an action packed Friday. IM is a pretty overwhelming especially for a first timer as there are SO many fit people wandering around with more equipment than Lance Armstrong and the sheer organisation of the race but Nicky seemed fairly relaxed and enjoyed lunching and coffeeing on the Promenade as she was under my strict instructions to do no training. I took the opportunity to ride some of the course to give her some pointers but ended up with 2 flat tyres 1hr30 up a mountain! Perfect - so much for being helpful but I managed to hitch hike back to the hotel with 2 Road Workers and then 2 German tourists in a mobile home......clearly my newly acquired language skills are paying off. We enjoyed a relaxing evening with Nicky's wonderful parents at a little bistro in the old town of Vence - lots of pasta and a couple of vino's - purely for medicinal reasons only of course!
Saturday was spent looking at Nicky's bike and doing some adjustments.....Nicky, never one to blame her equipment will never say anything but unfortunately her touring bike had not been set up correctly and this was what had caused her tendonitis. We were able to adjust the position to alleviate the immediate pain but I was a little worried the damage had already been done and there was not time her knee to repair but only time would tell. Hindsight is a great thing and I only wish now I had seen her earlier but...... We focused on the positive and moved into Nice to be organised for the race and checked in Nicky's bike and all her race bags. We enjoyed yet another good meal and went through all the last minute organisation and I interviewed Nicky with the video camera pre-race then it was a bath & bed (not together I hassen to add Brucey before you get worried!) ready for our 4am breakfast call.
Race morning came way to early for both of us but we got up bleary eyed and organised everything and went over to the transition area to check Nicky's bike + equipment. It was a beautiful morning but I knew that would mean it would be excruciatingly hot later for the athletes. Nicky, ever the superstar was very positive and enjoying the whole atmosphere and each part of the experience not knowing how long her day would last. 6.30am Race Start quickly came round and I waved her off and watched the action. I had planned to bike from Nice up to Vence to met Nicky's parents for coffee and to cheer Nicky on at the 35km point as the traffic was at a stand still and I needed to work off all the goat cheese I had been quaffing! I pedalled like Lance Armstrong as I had to take a different route to the racers and I was so worried I might miss her but made it in time and it was great to watch all the racers. Nicky's Mum was so excited and had been watching since 8.20am - it was so lovely to see how excited and proud both her Mum & Dad were and keen to learn everything about the sport...Nicky if you had seen what I had seen you would never give another thought about letting anyone down! Nicky appeared about 3hrs after the start - not as quickly as I would have expected without the knee problems but I was just relieved she made it through the swim and onto the bike so she could experience some of the race after all her preparation. She was as chirpy as ever but when I asked about the knee, I knew it wasn't good and I expected her to stop at the base of the major 20km climb which was 10km from us. A few coffee's later, I left Nicky's parents to make their way to Nice while I headed up the Col to see another point of the race. It was brutally hot and the toughness of the course and heat was beginning to show on everyone coming through the 120km mark....the bike course climbs nearly 2000m! Back to town and then I could track Nicky on the internet. To my amazement she made it through the 70km mark which is the top of the major climb but there are still so many more to go. Finally as she mentioned she had to accept the final 35km into town in the van. Ironically, this was the only flat part of the course...she had done all the hard parts and many one legged with some walking when the knee became too much. I know Nicky pushed so hard through the pain for 9hrs because she knew she had commited to doing this challenge, she's not a quitter and most importantly she is passionate about the causes she is raising funds for and was so worried people would not pledge any money if she didn't complete everything. This was a very hard mental battle against doing permanent damage to her leg and thankfully the race stepped in and forced her in the van after 9hrs or I am confident she would still be out there! Nicky's parents and I had been waiting on the promenade to news of Nicky and to cheer on the other competitors and they were great company. I am still chuckling remembering Nicky's Mum tracking down some suspicious substance abuse in the toilets!
We were finally reunited with Nicky on the beach and enjoyed a celebration capaccino and some chips!! She was being very brave and cheerful but underneath I know she is very disappointed she didn't complete the whole challenge...little does she know how proud we truly are of her and all she has achieved. I know what it has taken her to organise her 3 children with various school runs (often 4hrs per day plus of driving!), house, other commitments, sponsorship, equipment, logistics, trip planning - not to mention training and how tired you get when you do 4-5hrs bike riding in a day! Nicky, you are AMAZING - I know you are disappointed but there are many more challenges lying ahead and you were so tough - I have done this course and I simply can't imagine how you made it as far as you did under these circumstances. As we said, you learn from all these experiences and will come back stronger and wiser for the next one. I have a strong feeling we haven't seen the last of Nicky's Ironman career....watch this space but first it's time to let Nicky have a rest and recovery physically and emotionally for a mammoth undertaking. Boys, can you look after your Mum specially for me in the next few weeks - I want to have Nicky fit and ready to be my crazy sporting partner-in-crime when we are both 50, 60, 70.......I think there are some Hawaii IM records that need to be broken in the womens 75-80 category! Nicky, love you lots and I had a great weekend - when's the next one?!?!?!? |
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Thats the true British spirit, what |
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Great to see you in Rians - we are full of admiration - we hope you managed the swim and marathon (wow) in spite of poor sore knee. love Sarah and James Blomfield |
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We are beside ourselves with admiration and we wish we were beside you too
Lots of love from A&Pxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx |
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Wishing you all the luck in the world with the ironman, you are such a star to continue and your team mates are doing a fantastic job to complete the cycling.Get lots and lots of rest, we are all thinking of you and all agree you are AMAZING! |
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The very bestest... greatly admired from down under too. All love from Baldocks and Ken Donnelly.. |
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