by Alexandra Mansilla
Paula Ralph: Another Attempt To Ride From South Africa To Norway
19 Jul 2024
Remember the story of Paula Ralph, who planned to cycle from South Africa to Norway in less than 100 days in early February this year? Her route was meticulously planned, and Paula was well-prepared, but just days before the start, the trip was cancelled due to financial reasons.
Well, now Paula is gearing up to make it happen again. What is it like to try again after such a setback? Why didn't Paula ride her bike for an entire month? Learn all about it in our interview.
— Do you remember the day when it became clear that the trip you had been preparing for so long was cancelled?
I most certainly do; it will be etched into my memory forever. I was living with friends at the time, and I was sitting on the end of my bed, crying my eyes out.
— You had been preparing all this time, eagerly looking forward to the trip, and then, just a few days before departure, everything fell apart. How did you feel then, and how did you recover?
— There was a huge weight on me because I felt like a complete failure at that moment. I had told the world what I wanted to do. I had all these people believing in me, and I had to tell them it has been cancelled. My team and I had a group chat, and they were the ones I really didn’t want to break the news to, but of course, we are a close-knit team, and they saw it coming even before I wanted to admit defeat. Breaking the news felt like such a relief simply because the knot in the pit of my stomach untied. They are so professional. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting the reaction I got (perhaps because I’ve never experienced such professionalism in my lifetime). The team immediately said: it is okay; you aren’t the first person this has happened to, and you most certainly won’t be the last. We will postpone to next year, and you will do this!
At that moment, I knew I was surrounded by the right people. That is what helped me recover — knowing that my team supported me and was with me no matter what. That is what got me back on my bike and gave me the strength to continue fighting for my goals.
— You gave up biking for a month. Why?
— I guess some medium of "the blues" set in.
I wasn’t prepared for it, and I told my coach I wasn’t going to take time off, but it ended up happening for two reasons.
The first was that I had to settle back into life. I was ready to leave. I had given up my apartment in November and given everything that wasn’t personal to a lovely lady who desperately needed household items. I put my personal belongings into storage, and here I was without somewhere to live. As a self-employed mobile sports therapist, I had to rebuild my clientele. It has been a super tough year so far in terms of getting back to a level where I can support myself. But I continue to push forward.
The second reason is that, yes, I got the blues. I was so ready to get started. Every fibre of my being was prepared, and when it hit me that I wasn’t going and had to continue training for another year, it felt like a smack in the face. These things are all minor setbacks, though, and with a swift "kick" from my coach, I got back on track. But yes, a month had passed.
— How quickly did you find new sponsors?
— Well, to be honest, I am still looking. However, I am pushing hard and contacting every company I can think of, as well as a few individuals. Being just me by myself and never having done this before, it has been a steep learning curve. I have just acquired a new bike sponsor, but it hasn’t been announced yet, so I am not prepared to go into much detail until the deal is done.
— What is the new date for the trip?
— Aiming to start in February 2025.
— How are you preparing for the journey now?
— There is lots and lots of training. I eat, sleep, train, work, and repeat. I go to bed around 8:30 PM and wake up at 3.00 or 4.00 AM. During the week, I spend anywhere from one to three hours on the bike. Weekends involve longer rides as well as gym training.
— Are you afraid it might all fall apart again?
— Absolutely, of course. However, I did learn a big lesson from this last time. Get a signed contract in place immediately.
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