Once in a while it is good to take time out to celebrate extraordinary individuals. Today is such a day. This morning in New York a remarkable lady completed a 6782 Km bike ride starting from the Golden Gate Bridge on 30 June to the Brooklyn Bridge to raise funds for charity, with a “victory lap” to Battery Park.
Jane Tomlinson is 42 and comes from Leeds in northern England. In the last five years she has raised over $2 million for charities by being sponsored for her athletic exploits. In that time she had completed a full Ironman (4km Swim, 180Km bike ride and full marathon – to be done inside 17 hours). Has completed two half Ironmans, the London Marathon 3 times, the New York Marathon and three London Triathlons. A previous epic cycle ride took her from Rome to her home.
Her exploits have not gone unrewarded. She received an the MBE from the Queen in 2003, winner of the Helen Rollinson Award at the BBC in 2002, twice recognised at the Sportswoman of the Year Awards, won a Great Briton Award and voted the most Inspirational Woman in Britain in 2003.
It’s not merely the fundraising that makes Jane such a inspirational woman. More below the fold.
In the normal course of events Jane should be dead by now, indeed this will probably be her last athletic effort but she will continue to raise funds for a charitable trust set up under her name so that her work can continue after her death.
Six years ago eactly she was told her breast cancer had mestacised and she had six months to live. She has had four courses of chemotherapy, the last ending on 30 April – an injury meany that she had to delay training for this ride until 3 weeks before she set off. She completed one of those marathons while she was on a previous coourse of treatment – the only person to do so. While advances in drug treaments have kept her alive, they have left her with chronic heart disease and her prognosis is still terminal.
She had planned to complete the cross-USA ride yesterday on the exact 6th anniversary of her diagnosis but was delayed by illness – two days ago her support team almost called off the effort as her health deteriorated. Jane had had support all the way from her husband and young son. At first they raised money for specific charities but they have now set up a charitable trust in her name. It has trustees from the major charities she has supported in the past. The site has a fuller story of the ride.
Her achievements should not just be measured in the amount of money she has raised. In the words of her charity’s site:
One of Jane’s motives is to show that people with a terminal prognosis can still lead an active and fruitful life. Death doesn’t arrive with the prognosis.
Today she achieved that ambition.