Supporting a girls cycling project in Ghana

I think it's a slow news day so hopefully this will get noticed.

A bit of a begging post. It probably doesn't help that I don't post very often but the STW Chess players will know me as a very slow player (blame my work) who often loses on time. However if anyone does have a spare £5 perhaps they can bung it in the direction of this cycling project in Ghana run by an inspiration woman, Vida Juliette Vivie.

I'm going to be taking on a 3 Stage challenge in September including the Tour of the Cornfields. If you do ride the event look out for me in CC Ashwell kit and give me a word of encouragement or a wheel to follow - I'll need it! The run the day before is scaring me the most as at 55 years old the longest I had ever run before this year was 7 miles.

https://www.justgiving.com/crowd.../markschallengeforvida

Friday 2nd September will see me take on the 123 mile CC Ashwell Club cycle ride to Wells-Next-the-Sea and then Kings Lynn to get the train home.

Saturday 3rd September is a 22km (half marathon) off-road run in the Surrey Hills with 512m of climbing. The furthest I have ever run in one session so far is now 9 miles (last week) so this stage will be a challenge on it's own!

Sunday 4th September is the Tour of the Cornfields (an event I started organising many years ago) 65 mile Cycling Sportive with 70% off-road. I then need to be back in work on the Monday to cycle round Cambridge delivering parcels.

Vida Juliete Vivie is an inspiring leader for a cycling project in Ghana designed to develop aspiring young female cyclists. I want to raise some money to help her continue to build her programme.

Vida said “My passionate is to promote cycling as a healthy lifestyle, to offer various programmes for young female with the goal to engage and empower young female to become excited about grass track cycling sport, transport, bike mechanic and feel confident about themselves and learn new and exciting skills that will help with long term development grass track cycling sport and involve the community. My dream was to become a Cycling Star taking part in international events but never come true but I am happy that I ended up to be a cycling instructor, bicycle mechanic and cycling advocator.”

The Vida Cycling Programme is set on a 12 Acre site generously donated by a woman named Benedicta Ameyafo Ahovi, witnessed by the Chief of the Community. Grasstrack races of up to 1,000m take place every month at the Velodrome, Frandkadua in the Asuogyaman district of Eastern Region. Here the value of Cycling Sports for the younger generation, especially girls, in Ghana can be displayed. Young children in the community are encouraged to take active part from an incredibly youthful age. The bikes are supplied for all by Vida Juliet Vivie who conducts the maintenance of the bikes with Scott Darku.