Sometimes, you meet truly inspirational people on a gusty Tuesday afternoon…
So, the afternoon row was called off. A beautiful English February day, but typically, just a touch too windy to get a boat out.
Never mind—let’s have a coffee instead.
I’d been checking out another club, so perhaps a cuppa and a chat would be a good idea. Get to know a couple of people. Perfect.
Enter Caroline. Tall, athletic, and… really welcoming.
We got talking about all things rowing. I mentioned the Pacific, and that was it—I was off! The poor woman was “spoken at” for a good 15 minutes, but she was genuinely interested. Caroline mentioned she’d done some endurance events in the past… notably the infamous “Marathon des Sables”—one of the toughest foot races on the planet! Definitely a kudos race, and highly respected.
I was impressed.
But then, she casually dropped into the conversation that she’d run the length of Wales… on her own. I repeat—on her own. Sometimes, when you’re part of a corporate event, it makes life a bit easier. People know about these gruelling challenges. The organisers help you, you get fuel stops, you’re tracked—it’s a whole system of support. That alone is tough enough. But to run the length of Wales unsupported—roughly 270km of mountainous terrain that is, at best, “hilly”—is just bloody brilliant.
I asked her why.
She replied, very honestly:
- Because she wanted to.
- To raise money for the hospice that cared for her sister.
- To keep making her children proud (in no particular order).
Any future plans? I asked. Silly question, really. Her next idea is to be the oldest woman to run from John o’ Groats to Land’s End. Not far—just a mere 700-ish miles. I really hope she does it, and I’ve offered my support.
After a disappointing start due to the “gusty” weather, instead of coming away deflated, I left inspired and uplifted. Anything is possible, and Caroline doesn’t want to waste a single minute of her life.
What a woman. Quietly confident, quietly competitive, quietly brilliant!
