PICTURES: Strathpuffer challenger who tackled mental health 'silent killer' has 1000 reasons to celebrate Mikeysline triumph
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A CYCLE enthusiast who took on the Strathpuffer to raise awareness of a "silent killer" had a thousand reasons to be happy as he crossed the line.
Remy de Jong (33) of Strathpeffer lined up with hundreds of others in icy conditions for the 24-hour event involving laps of Contin Wood.
He had set himself a £1000 target for mental health charity Mikeysline as payback for the open arms welcome of the community to himself and wife Marieke Witteman and to raise awareness of available life-saving support.
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Beforehand he said: "When I struggled with mental health issues when I was in uni and my wife struggled while she started her career working for the NHS in the Highlands, we were fortunate to get the help we needed. We soon realised that was not for everyone when we saw colleagues drop out and heard stories from friends and people in their families.
"We have always felt very welcome in the Highlands after we moved up from the Netherlands. Biking has always been my personal helpline, and knowing how difficult life can be sometimes. I feel like raising money for a great cause by doing the thing I love most is a great way to give back to our community."
Remy hit his target, grinding out 12 laps round the clock, riding the full rollercoaster of emotions from euphoria to exhaustion and back again.
He said: "The atmosphere is great. There is music on route, everyone is friendly and loads of people are there to support. We has secured a spot for our pitstop about a quarter of the way up the first climb, and out set-up was warm and cosy, just what you need during an event in winter.
"Riding the first few laps went great, the course was in good condition and there were loads of riders just having fun and enjoying the trails. The course got worse throughout the day and night with all the riders digging through with their tyres.
"Some sections got really slippery and muddy but all was still ridable. Let's say that is part of the fun of moutain-biking. After a certain number of laps the fatigue sets in. Keeping on top of nutrition and hydration is something that you need to train and can make or break a race like this. Tiredness caught up with me after lap 9, and I had to rest for a couple of hours in order to continue.
"As with these endurance races you go through all sorts of emotions and stages. You start euphoric and while the day progresses and you get more and more tired, riding becomes tougher. Self motivation is key, and as you drain yourself mentally and physically your mind wanders off to all sorts of places. Throughout the whole race you go through so many emotions and that experience is unique, you feel alive and thankful for all you have.
"What kept me going once I got back on my bike during the night was that there was no other reason for me to continue than to ride for fun. As I had learned all the lines on the course through all of mine training laps over the last couple of months, I was able to enjoy it, even when dead tired!"
He said: "All in all I managed to ride 12 laps, which got me in 19th position in my category (out of 49 riders). I think I said never again after I finished. But I am already thinking about doing at least 13 laps next year and maybe raise even more money!"
His fundraiser can be found at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/BikeForMentalHealth
