LIFE CHANGER
James O’Dea, 43, from the Republic of Ireland, says the ride to and from his work on the Covid-19 frontline has been a salvation for him and his family
How cycling saved the sanity of this frontline worker during the pandemic
HOW WAS LIFE BEFORE THE BIKE?
“It’s hard to recall. Growing up in Galway I’d cycle two and a half miles to and from school every day. It was a steep climb there but a great descent going home.”
WHAT GOT YOU BACK CYCLING?
“I stopped driving altogether in 2012. I was living in London and started cycling from Chiswick to Croydon for work every day. I’d sometimes ride out to the Surrey Hills and wonder what that unusual odour was – it was clear, fresh air. I now live on the Isle of Wight.”
HOW IS IT CHANGING YOUR LIFE?
“I work as an operating theatre support at St Mary’s Hospital on the Isle of Wight. My commute is 12 miles each way and cycling has helped me cope with working extralong shifts during the pandemic. It takes 40 minutes on the bike and on the way there I just focus on the road ahead. On the way home I’m able to ride in the fresh air after being in a windowless theatre for hours on end. It is the ideal separation I need between my work and home.”
WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO RIDE?
“I’m fortunate in that my route takes in Ventnor, which is a bit like Monaco as you have to cycle steep climbs – parts of it are 25 per cent – to get in and out of the town. The roads here are bumpy but it’s open countryside with the smell of wild garlic in the air right now. It’s also just been lambing season, which adds to the sounds and the beauty of cycling here. I get the burn I need cycling into work in the morning and the distraction I need after a day in theatre so that I genuinely don’t bring work home with me.”
WHO DO YOU RIDE WITH?
“I rode from Lille to Amsterdam with a group of friends, which has given me the appetite to ride through the south of France. During my work appraisals I’m asked what I’d like to achieve outside of work and I tell them – climb Alpe d’Huez! I’ve been to southern France on holiday but never taken the bike – one day I will do some of those classic routes. I sometimes ride with my son, Elliot, who’s 11. We rode more when we were in London but the hills around Ventnor are a bit of a challenge for him right now.”
Thanks to cyclinguk.org for putting us in touch with James and to all James’s colleagues at NHS UK for their hard work
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Has cycling changed your life? Email us at cyclingplus@immediate.co.uk
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