On Saturday Melissa Moore is cycling from Edinburgh in the East to Glasgow in the West along the canals to fundraise for Scottish Waterway Trust’s projects. In between training hard, she’s kindly wrote some words on what inspired her to hop on two wheels and take up the challenge:
I’m originally from California but my husband is from Renfrewshire. Not long after getting married I moved to Scotland. Being so far from my friends and family was harder than I expected and struggled with homesickness and depression. My husband is very supportive, but building a new life is always hard.
Back home I had always been an avid runner and enjoyed spending time outdoors. It didn’t take long to discover the parks and paths around the waterways of Glasgow. The canals in particular became a great place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and find some inner peace. Since moving I have also taken up cycling. Such accessible and lovely cycle paths make it easy to explore the country which I now call home.
I still struggle sometimes, but having a place I know I can escape to to clear my head when things get tough has been invaluable over this past year. This is why I decided it was important to give back and thought a canal side cycle was a fitting way to raise money. Having access to the paths and waterways of Scotland have really helped me cope with my depression and I hope that through working with the Scottish Waterways Trust others will have an opportunity to overcome their struggles as well.
We wish Melissa the best of luck on her cycle on Saturday!
Support Melissa through Just Giving - https://www.justgiving.com/MeMoore06
Get inspired to fundraise with this Power of an Hour Fundraising Pack.