大象传媒

A spiritual comment and prayer to begin the day with Rev Virginia Luckett

Eileen Sheridan - Just do it

Good morning and welcome.

Last week I saw my friend John, who in his late 60鈥檚 has recently returned from an epic cycling trip from Lands End to John O'Groats. Despite not being a serious cyclist he had always had the ambition to try this iconic route. But it was only when he discovered late last year, an email in the dark recesses of his inbox enquiring about the route which was 5 years old, he thought he鈥檇 better get on with it!

I was reminded of another cyclist, a diminutive octogenarian woman, who I got to know through the church in Isleworth, where I did my curacy.

This woman was none other than Eileen Sheridan. The world record breaking cyclist, whose career was cut short in the late 1950s because she had broken every record that she could attempt because female cyclists didn鈥檛 compete in the Olympics until 1984.

She too had the ambition to try Land's End to John O'Groats, which she did in 1954, smashing the previous world record by nearly 12 hours with a time of 2 days, 11 hours and 45 minutes. Even more outstanding, because she didn't have the benefits of modern day bike technology, sports clothes or equipment.

She said she had worn a thick fisherman's jumper that belonged to her beloved husband Ken and she had carried a chicken sandwich and a small flask of tea tucked inside it.

Eileen鈥檚 record stood for 36 years and was not broken until 2002. She died earlier this year, and is fondly remembered by all who knew her.

So today I pray for all of us who have untested ambitions, that like Eileen and John, we will have the opportunity to try.

Amen

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