An Ode To (Not) Being Rachel Atherton

An Ode To (Not) Being Rachel Atherton

Hannah recently dislocated her shoulder. Like Rachel Atherton, she didn’t actually crash… but she wasn’t actually riding. Rachel’s shoulder popped out under the force of landing a massive jump at Fort William. Hannah twisted hers out while pushing her bike down a feature she thought looked a bit scary. Hannah is now somewhat ashamed by her feeble approach to work this week…

i cant do capital letters
unless I SHOUT or

theyre near the lEFt oF my kEyboARD.

forget apostrophes too. my left hand is not
dextrous enough for that dance. the ‘ is such a long way over to the right and by the time i get over there and
back to the s. Well. Some of you dont know the difference anyway, do you?

its it’s a nuisance when your dominant hand is strapped
to
your
side

immobilised

by a moment of misjudgement on the trail.

it could be worse. i could be german. or french. umlauts and accents evading me, making me sin when I want to fish*.

theres another thing i cant do; fish. or use colons. or play darts. or throw a frisbee. even doorhandles are a challenge.

PLEASE CAN SOMEONE CUT THE BREAD FOR ME
I can toast it myself
oh ffs spreading it is a pain in the arse

talking of arse, and spreading.
the toilet is an issue, regardless of whether i stand or sit
and i dont care what way round you hang the toilet roll, i need my nose to hold it still and

tear it

like the flesh in my shoulder, which heals
slowly.

But Rachel Atherton just pops her shoulder back in and takes another run at the track.

*pêcher = to fish, pécher = to sin

While you’re here…

Honest, there’s no more poetry-like stuff anywhere else…

https://singletrackmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/issue-147-vinegar-and-brown-paper/
https://singletrackmag.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/how-injured-are-you-5-exercises-to-find-out/
Author Profile Picture
Hannah Dobson

Managing Editor

I came to Singletrack having decided there must be more to life than meetings. I like all bikes, but especially unusual ones. More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments. I try to write about all these things in the hope that others might discover the joy of bikes too.

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