Riding towards their goal
On paper, cycling 1400 km around the entire coastal belt of Sri Lanka, over 10 days, seems a monstrous task but not impossible. It is only when you take into account the consistent 4.30 a.m. wake ups, blistering temperatures reaching highs of 40 degrees, combined with the toughest of terrains, throw in some sand, water-crossings, multiple hills and a few nights of sleepless camping, do you realise quite how tough the Around the Pearl challenge really is. On April 7, 35 brave cyclists and a team of trusty Land Rovers set off to complete this epic journey.
Around Sri Lanka for a cause: The riders on the road
So what motivates these heroic cyclists to undertake such a trip? Of course there are individual aims and reasons for participating: fitness, adventure, travel but ultimately the cause is what keeps these cyclists pedalling. Around the Pearl is an initiative of ‘Wheels for Wheels’, a charity with the ultimate goal of donating 40,000 wheelchairs to children with Cerebral Palsy. This is an ambitious target but ‘Wheels for Wheels’ strongly believes helping alleviate even some of the pain and suffering that young Cerebral Palsy sufferers endure every day is worth all the effort.
Cerebral Palsy (CP) is the term used for a group of non-progressive disorders of movement and posture caused by abnormal development of, or damage to, motor control centres of the brain. CP is caused by events before, during, or after birth and it is the most common physical disability in childhood. In Sri Lanka, there are an estimated 40,000 children and adults with CP, also many undetected cases.Therefore, the motivation is simple; every pedal stroke the cyclists make is one step closer to another life changing wheelchair for a child.
The cause was very much at the heart of the entire ten days. At the end of Day 5, the cyclists stopped at the Urban Council in Trincomalee to visit a Cerebral Palsy camp. These camps, organised by the Cerebral Palsy Lanka Foundation do extraordinary work all over the country for children suffering from the disorder. The cyclists were able to see firsthand the amazing work the expert therapist team does in examining the individual patients and modifying each wheelchair specially to cater for differing conditions.
Tisara Samarasuriya, a returning Around the Pearl-er said, “It was a good reminder of why I am doing ATP for the second time, not just to see our beautiful island but to raise money and help those less fortunate.As long as I keep spinning my wheels, these children can receive their own wheels and seeing a smile on their faces makes it all worth it.”
The route, starting and finishing in Colombo passed through many wonderful and varied places and showcased the beauty and diversity of the Sri Lankan scenery. Travelling by bike offers a totally unique experience as it allows you to take in not only the sights but also the sounds and smells of the entire country. An American couple, Amy and Terry Jurries completed the trip, explaining that the only way to experience a country fully is on two wheels. In ten days they covered so much ground as the journey combined history, geography and many elements of Sri Lankan culture. Amy said, “You get to interact with the people and engage all your senses. Not to mention the camaraderie created by 35 people, riding and sharing the same experience together.”
But Around the Pearl is no walk in the park: it required huge amounts of commitment and a lot of training. The first few days were shorter in regards to kilometres (on average 130km) and as they headed down South, first to Mirissa and then Kataragama it seemed the cyclists were lulled into a false sense of security. But as they journeyed further up the East coast the heat intensified and the days grew much longer (160km on average). Passing through extraordinarily dry and arid land there was a huge risk of heat stroke and exhaustion meaning hydration was absolutely critical. Over 2800 litres of water was consumed over the ten days and who knows how many bananas and energy bars. With extremely early morning starts, it was not possible to fill up on hearty breakfasts so a small bowl of porridge had to suffice until after the first 40km when rotis and bananas were on offer. Rest stops every 30 to 40km became more frequent as tiredness kicked in and the heat of the day became unbearable.
What it’s all about: A rider with a young Cerebral Palsy sufferer
Inevitably there were a number of falls resulting in one broken arm, a broken collar bone and a couple of broken ribs. Tiredness did not help with concentration and although most evenings were spent in five-star luxury due to generous sponsors, a couple of the nights consisted of Navy camping. Though certainly comfortable enough, the blistering April heat made sleeping in a tent intolerable.
This year, Around the Pearl was bigger than ever before having grown in just three years. In 2014, Ajith Fernando, brains behind the whole idea, joined by 11 other cyclists and 1 support car, set off on a life changing trip that developed into the now annual Around the Pearl adventure. This year 35 cyclists completed the challenge including international riders from Australia, America and Holland. Looking back on last week’s trip Fernando who has a personal connection to the Cerebral Palsy cause said “Every time I do this, I am amazed at the beauty of this country. I also love the feeling of riding; the physical challenge and more than anything the mental challenge. This makes you break out of your social norms and suddenly everyone becomes much more fun and relaxed. Finally, I am amazed at how far this simple idea has gone. ATP has now become a brand of its own and is an event that has attracted international riders. I am really happy about this because I know we can continue to use this as an avenue to do what we set out to do: to ensure that all kids with CP are provided with mobility.”
This year’s tour also included the Chalai Challenge, a 75km off-road race which saw professional cyclists coming to Sri Lanka from Iran, Singapore, Nepal and India,specially to participate in this event. Around the Pearl, with the endorsement of Sri Lanka Tourism is successfully putting the country on the map as an adventure and cycling destination. In May this year, Around the Pearl heads to Melbourne for its first international ride. The aim is to raise more funds and in turn more wheelchairs as well as increase awareness for the Cerebral Palsy Lanka Foundation. As the initiative grows in size, it depends even more heavily on its very generous sponsors, especially Land Rover, Australian Property Consultants, Jetwing Hotels, Linea Acqua and Sri Lankan Airlines.
The camaraderie throughout was exceptional and it was extremely touching to see them arrive back at Park Street Mews greeted by more smiling children who had just been given their first wheelchairs. Ten days of gruelling and intensive cycling was all made worth while in that single moment.
Around the Pearl allows these cyclists to partake in an activity they enjoy, with a diverse group of people whilst making a hugely positive impact on the young sufferers’ lives. So far funds for another 1000 wheelchairs have been raised this year, however the aim is to reach 1500 by July. It doesn’t end there: Around the Pearl 2017 is set to be bigger still. Check out www.aroundthepearl.lk for more information.