Here's to strong women. May we know them. May we be them. And may we raise them.
Sandy Maytham Bailey
Sarah van Eerden
Mandy Joyce
Janine Oosthuizen
June Fabian
Estelle Labushagne
Jeannette Scoular
Ernesta Meintjies
Philippa Crocker
Sarah van Heerden
Ingrid Avidon
Kim Ward
Angela Green
Cindy Rutherford
Rebecca Sands
Gill Graaf
Mathilda Uys
Annie Labuschagne
Shona Giessing
Vera Reynolds
Talita Wassenaar
Penny Chapman
Lee McPhearson
Gina Ryan
And ALL the other brave ladies who have, and who still will, ride on the Freedom trail. Most of you are on your journey while others still wait to begin. Some have finished while others have unfortunately had to stop.
Riding a bicycle across South Africa, whether it be RASA or one of the shorter events, is not easy. At some point you will wonder why you chose to take on such an extreme CHALLENGE. You will question your sanity, as will others. So why do we do it, especially as women?
The answer is simple: our dreams and desire for adventure are no different to that of a man. It all begins with us, the women of the Freedom trail. We ride to show other women and girls that an adventure, on a bicycle, is within reach. With the right attitude anything is possible.
You may want to race the trail or explore every contour line at your leisure. Some women (okay one or two) choose to sleep rough, under the cold sky, while others enjoy the comforts of the support stations. Whether you ride alone or in a group, or with a man or a bunch of men, whether you finish or not, it is us, the women of the trail, that fuel the dreams of other women and the girls who will one day ride this trail.
As custodians, may our light shine bright.