Feb 162012
 

An Aberdeen man, set to cycle the entire circumference of the globe, has set off on his adventure. Stephen Davy-Osborne reports.

Kyle Hewitt, 25, of Northfield, boarded a train at Aberdeen on Thursday afternoon to journey down to London where his immense challenge will begin. Mr Hewitt has spent the last year training hard in anticipation of the gruelling task, and even undertook a sponsored stationary cycle through the Bon-Accord Centre to help raise awareness of his two chosen charities, Barnardos and Inspire.

 While waiting to board the East Coast service that would take him south, Kyle was weighing up the challenge ahead.

“I’m ready to go!” he enthused  

“The enormity of what I am doing will probably hit me in a moment of solitary abandonment, and I’ll probably be in the middle of nowhere, but right now I’m raring to go!

“My training has been going well recently. It has mainly been a case of winding it down and eating as much as I can, calorie-wise, although it has been hard trying to find the time to do so!”

The cycle will see Kyle travel 18,000 miles in just 160 days, arriving home in time for the opening ceremony of the London Olympics, bringing the record for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe back to Scotland.

“I will definitely be home in time for the Games,” he added.

“I’d love to come home within 100 days, but you never know what could happen out on the road, and even just one little thing could slow me down, and end up hampering that.”

Despite not being daunted by the extent of what awaits him on his departure from Greenwich Park, there is one part of his journey which is a cause for concern.

“The big bit that keeps coming up is British Columbia and Alaska,” he confides,

“It’s quite solitary and by the time I get there in around 45 days time it will be time for the bears to wake up! And I imagine they’ll be quite hungry! 
“But that’s the real sense of adventure; I can’t wait to get stuck in there!”

www.inspired2inspire.org.uk 

Aug 182011
 

By Stephen Davy-Osborne. 

Three skaters from Aberdeen’s very own roller derby team have been selected to represent Scotland as part of the national team at the 2011 Roller Derby World Cup taking place inToronto, Canada later this year.

The local skaters selected to be part of the team are Carolyn Mackenzie (aka Clinically Wasted), Claire Simpson (reserve) (aka Ruby Riot) and Jill Simpson (reserve) (aka Rock ‘n’ Riot) all members of Aberdeen’s only female Roller Derby Team, the Granite City Roller Girls.

Speaking to the Aberdeen Voice upon learning of her selection, Carolyn Mackenzie said:

“Since October 2009, Roller Derby has become an immense part of my life. Never before had I found something so liberating, enjoyable and welcoming.

“For me, being selected for Team Scotland threw up many emotions including – joy, disbelief, happiness and fear! The road to Toronto, has, and will be a tough one – both physically and mentally, but I will still be there flying the flag for Scotland with the biggest smile on my face.

“Modern Roller Derby is such a young sport and this will be the first ever World Cup, being broadcast to tens of thousands of people across the globe. To be involved in such an important historic event for our sport, this makes me the proudest person in the world.”

The team are still seeking a sponsor to support them to travel and stay in Canada and to help with uniforms, insurance and training facilities.  The sponsorship provides the opportunity for exposure at an international event that will be attended by thousands of spectators and streamed across the world.

The 2011 Blood & Thunder Roller Derby World Cup takes place in Toronto between the 1st and 4th of December.

– For more information, check out www.teamscotlandrollerderby.com

Pictures: Andrew Leatherbarrow