These kids would still be in situations that are unimaginable if it hadn’t been for Hands Across the Water. You see, this ride I am on is a 500 km ride over 5 days from Bangkok to Kao Lak and myself and each of the ‘blue jersey riders’ raised $5k for the privilege to do so. Every single cent of it- yes every cent goes to help the kids -not on admin fees. It helps the kids have a safe home, food and education to provide for their future.
There, as I sat on my bike and I felt like I always felt- thinking how I always think….’they are stronger than you, they have more experience, they are better riders’. Suddenly it happened, I thought, ‘who set this limit on what I can achieve’? I did- !! Surely if I set this limit, I can set another one? And, what if I I just let it go completely? I wondered what it would feel like to have no limit? It dawned on me. If I am spending all this time sitting down making excuses about why I cant, why not take the same amount of time and find out how I can?
Three words kept coming to my mind over and over and over like a song to the rhythm of my legs on the pedals. Courage, strength, determination. Courage strength determination…( actually, the day I got home from my first ride I got a tattoo on my back that had these three exact words in Thai script.) I saw the front pack, the leaders of the ride, I got closer and closer and in the distance, I saw my strength- A HILL!! I’m good at hills! I thought, 'this is your chance JC. Don't mess this up like you did in Kindergarten, coming first and being so far ahead that you thought you had false started! And then waited for everyone else to catch up and came third.'
Not this time!! I am not in Kindy anymore. So, with all the gears I could manage, I took my courage , strength and determination. I stood up and pushed harder than I’ve ever pushed before. In over 40 degree heat, sweating like I never sweated before (I mean who knew you could sweat this much!! ) I was exhausted but I chased down the blue jerseys and then suddenly, there they were! Right in front of me.
I had watched people overtake me all my life and today they watched me.
I had made it! I had dropped all my limits, I suddenly realized in that exact moment I had been holding myself back, no one else- ME!
My heart was open, I felt proud and an overwhelming sense of achievement. The exhaustion turned into exhilaration. I had certainly not expected this feeling when I signed up for a 500km bike ride over 5 days in Thailand!
It was in that moment my thoughts turned to the end of the ride, and, In just two days time, we were riding into one of the homes Hands had built to meet the happiest most loving and open kids I’ve ever met. These kids, at such a young age, had been through more that we can ever imagine. They showed so much courage strength and determination -like 8 year old Wan and 111 other new members of our family.
I went to Thailand to ride a bike and came home with 164 new members of my family not just the 112 kids but the carers in the home and 52 fellow blue jerseys. I felt so much love and support and a real connection with fellow humans letting their guard down and allowing each other to see their beautiful vulnerability. These 5 days created such I strong bond I will never forget -I fell in love with life. That cycle changed the lives of so many of the kids by each of us raising 5k for the homes, food and education hands across the water create. and in doing so, I found my courage, strength and determination.
My intuition told me to reach into my back pocket. There, I found another reason to become limitless. A photo and a story of a 16 year old girl called FAA, the one in the photo with me above and one of the many children living in the 7 homes across Thailand. I smiled as I get excited that as with every peddle, every hill, I was getting closer and closer to meeting her as well as her sister and her brother, all living in the home together and finding out how Hands Across the Water has helped her stay safe, have a loving home and education which meant something so special, it meant she he had options. This was something I had taken for granted. I mean, I can be whoever I want, do whatever I want, have whatever I want and without Hands, Faa and many of the other children would never have those options, many would be sold, abused, never have a loving home or food and some, would even die.
Faa is now studying nursing thanks to the donations to Hands.
The lesson I learnt that day was don’t hold yourself back -just let go –
find your courage, strength and determination -and don’t only set a new limit but become limitless.
There are so many beautiful and heartbreaking stories I can tell you from each of the rides and in between over the past few years but the greatest stories are the ones we hear about when we leave. In our Black Saturday bush fires, the kids in Thailand found out about them and sprung into action to help their Australian families. They made a doughnuts stall and sold doughnuts! Guess where the money they made went? This is the most amazing thing I can imagine. They need a hand yet are still helping others. They believe you have one hand to help yourself and one hand to help others.
When we got home from the first ride, we had a message on Facebook to say that there were some kids who didn't have sponsors. Within about 2 hours, every single one of the kids in the home at the time were sponsored by the riders from the ride.
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x JC
