Mads training in his boiler suit offshore Australia

As you can see from earlier blogs and updates, training has officially started for HOPE’s annual bike challenge. This year Tanya will be joining Jo, Thomas, Samnieng, Dayvy, Jay, Vanarith, Ida, Karla, Marli, Natasha and many of the Young Adults and educators from Sangkheum Center for Children, Anjali House and Salariian Kampuchea in the annual Angkor Bike Rally.  HOPE entered the Sangkheum young adults into this last year and they got so much out of it we have agreed to do it again – and this time with even more recruits. At the time of writing, we have over 50 participants in Siem Reap and a growing number elsewhere too!

This is the kids own way of helping us to help themselves, and if you would like to encourage them further please visit the Just Giving page – Harnessing Oddlesofdosh through Pedalling and Exhaustion.

The regular training sessions from outside Soria Moria Boutique Hotel are going well with various routes trough some beautiful Cambodian countryside. Should you happen to be in Siem Reap and would like to support the young adults in their preparations, please contact the reception at Soria Moria for the latest training schedules as we will have extra cycle guides allowing a number of guests to join the training sessions – absolutely free of charge…!!

Whilst obviously missing out on the great atmosphere and beautiful backdrop of the Angkor temples, some keen supporters have committed to do 30kms on exercise bikes on the day of the event or embrace the great outdoors wherever they may be. Mads will be pedalling on an exercise bike on board FPSO Ningaloo Vision offshore just outside of Australia, another group organised by Jess Connor will be on the Great Ocean Road and, encouraged by a recent visit to Siem Reap, another group of supporters from komplett.no lead by Jan will be pedalling in their training room in Sandefjord, Norway.

We have also received wonderful support from the Adidas shop in Siem Reap who will be providing water bottles, wrist bands, head bands and socks for prizes!

The big day is Saturday, 4th of December and starts at sunrise!

Despite many good friends and loyal supporters in the UK, we have no organised events scheduled on the day there (…yet), so, should you want to put some extra muscle behind your fundraising efforts, join our growing team of global challengers by contacting us !!

Mads in full training

Last Sunday's training group

Sangkheum's Young Adults

One of Salariian Kampuchea's smiling young adults

Cambodian countryside and bright orange dust roads (HOPE's colours)

Painting at Anjali House - Adidas are a main supporter

Sambath at the starting line

Training is soon to start for HOPE’s annual bike challenge. This year Tanya will be joining Jo and some of the Young Adults from the programmes they support in the annual Angkor Bike Rally.  HOPE entered the young adults into this last year and they got so much out of it we have agreed to do it again – and this time we might have a few more recruits too.

This is their way of trying to help themselves and if you would like to encourage them further please visit the Just giving page – Harnessing Oddlesofdosh through Pedaling and Exhaustion.

If you are unable to visit Cambodia in December why not challenge yourself to 30km in your home town, even if you don’t fancy bracing the cold in Europe why not set the challenge in your local gym? Whilst obviously missing out on the great atmosphere and beautiful backdrop of the Angkor temples, some keen supporters have committed to do 30kms on exercise bikes on the day of the event. One of them will be offshore just outside of Australia, another group on the Great Ocean Road and another will be pedaling in the training room of his company in Sandefjord, Norway.

The big date is Saturday 4th December and starts at sunrise!

Join our growing team of global challengers by contacting us !!

Dayvy outside the Elephant Terrace

Bleep bleep bleep the alarm goes at 4am on Saturday the 5th December 2009!!

Noting the darkness I grumble at the bleeping that has awakened me. Slowly I remembered why I had set the alarm clock soooo early I was getting up to see Angkor Wat at dawn, a task done by many visitors to Siem Reap every day however, this morning was different! The first weekend of December hails the popular marathon and bike ride which brings many tourists to experience the temples in a different way. And this year I, along with Sangkheum Center’s Young Adults and Educators were participating.

The day before I had checked my bike, washed it down and entered all participants ready and raring to go on behalf of all HOPE supporters. We had twenty in total from Sangkheum Center, plus Thomas (London to Brighton HOPE fundraiser in July), Dayvy (my cycling partner and motivator throughout the course), Samnieng (last year participant who came 14th in the overall men’s race – London 2012 here we come!!)  Natasha (fellow expat) and Mr. Kunn (Jasmine Lodge guesthouse owner and Project Manager for My Grandfather’s House).

Having proudly sewed the HOPE logo on my basket the night before (which I may add did receive many a comment ‘nice basket!!’), I pinned the number 99 to my Sangkheum T-shirt which as I mentioned before signifies that “I give hope to young generation” aptly missed ‘A’. Slightly ironic as the initial hope I gave to Sangkheum was indeed teaching them the English language!! All set Dayvy picked us up by car, dumping the bikes in a tuk tuk! (Motorised transport ) summonsing up the energy to cycle 30km I was lacking the motivation to do a further 8km just to get to the starting point. On the way we passed hundreds on bikes making their way to the temples, we arrived relatively fresh and ready to go!! However, after the race refueled by a chocolate brownie from Blue Pumpkin I quite happily raced back to town afterwards.

On arrival to the temples we met the Sangkheum team who were pinning their lucky numbers to their new race t-shirts. They were all very excited and full of energy. The boys were all teasing who was the best and who would win from their team. Bota (see his training blog here) was determined he would be first having trained closely alongside Samnieng and Thomas for the last few months. His training also saw him running from town to Sangkheum Center which is 12kms from town.

As we lined up at the starting point the sun was beginning to rise over the wonderous Angkor Wat and the reality and emotions hit that we were actually here. We raised over 1,000GBP and had given a goal for the young adults to work towards. It had been months since they all chorused they wanted to do a sponsored cycle and today their wish had come true. They had trained every Sunday as group cycling around the temples, Tonle Sap Lake and back to the center for several months and were now all lined up at the starting point for the big annual bike ride….

On the off everyone pushed off as hard as they could, but Dayvy and I took it slow taking everything in. From Angkor Wat to the gates leading to Angkor Thom up to Bayon, past the Elephant Terrace and across the big circuit to Sras Song. Passing Sras Song I knew the hard part was over and stopped for some refreshments. Being one of the last ones (I admit it) there were no bananas left!! At this stage I was in need of energy, but no matter we still carried on.

We passed green padding fields as the mist rose clearing to be a beautiful day. The weather and temperature had been perfect and we were relieved when the sun stayed cool. We passed the finish line 2 hours later to the cheers of the others. They had been patiently waiting for us for an hour!! They had raced very hard and some had done very good times within the hour. Motivated by their efforts they are already talking about where they will come in next year’s race and if they continue training every Sunday from now they will definitely be in the top twenty. So, I say good luck to them and well done for working so hard for their achievements. They truly were cycling for their own futures and like with everything they do they accomplished it as a team, with determination and with a great big smile.

Not long to go till Thomas, Bota and I with 18 other educators and young adults from Sangkheum Center for Children will be on our bikes cycling through the temples of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. We have been heavily fundraising on behalf of the kids to raise money for their own future and so far we have raised $1,393.00 online!! Which is just fantastic!!

HOPE have entered 19 Sangkheum staff and young adults to participant in the cycle ride. Costing just below $500 the money goes towards some more projects in Siem Reap supported by Village Focus.

When Village Focus began their community hygiene and clean water program, the community worked hand in hand to create a program to build and use 70 latrines and 5 wells. Access to safe water results in families spending less time and money caring for family members who fall sick. It is now expected that the children from Kansaeng Leu Village studying at secondary school in the coming years will rise significantly.

Even though Village Focus has provided 1,164 latrines, 46 wells, and 2 ponds in Siem Reap province, it is clear that many more families are in a dire need of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities.

Village Focus operates Slum Schools, Community Leadership Programs, and Health and Clean Water Projects that touch lives and are making a difference.  Please support them and us further in supporting many projects in and around Siem Reap by sponsoring the young adults. CLICK HERE FOR HOPE’S JUST GIVING PAGE!

Here are our last minute prep notes…

1. The road is in good shape, but do be on the lookout for potholes and buckling road (smooth but abrupt changes in the asphalt). The course should be fine for those on road bikes, but there is a stretch of about 5 meters that is rocky… and rough (a volunteer will be standing in front of this to tell you to slow down and be careful; road bikers may even opt to walk it). Be careful when you ride and with everything you do while in Cambodia, since our medical facilities are still very basic.
2. There will be 3 water and snack (bananas and bread) stations along the route; 1 at approximately each 10K interval. The 30K route is 1 lap, 55K is 2 laps, and 80K is 3 laps (laps are 25K each, plus a 5K stretch to reach the start of the 1st lap).

Bota

Every Sunday the Sangkheum Young Adults are training for the 30KM bike ride around Angkor Wat. Each week a different route is planned to see many parts of the beautiful countryside in Siem Reap. If you would like to join us we leave at 8am every Sunday from Soria Moria Hotel. If you would like to help the Young Adults help themselves please visit their sponsor page here.

Dear all………….!

Hello, how are you? For me it’s fine. I am Bota, and I am 18 years old and I have fourth brothers. They’re live in Sangkheun Center for children. I have been live SCC for six years ago. So, now I leave the Sangkheum Center already, but I still in the Sangkheum project we called “Young Adults Integration”.

Now, I want to tell you about bicycling practice. Every Sunday in the morning I have been practice bicycling with my friends, Teacher, Samnang, Thomas, and Jo. I am filling great. You know why? Because this the first time that I have a bicycle racing and learn how to race, too. The first I am filling a bit tired, but it fun for me. Although, I am getting tired but it’s good exercise. I love to exercise. I usually work out everyday. I get up early in the morning and run for about 00:30min. Then I often go to play football. Sometimes I go for a walk in the evening, about once a week.

Bota’s story about bicycle.

When I was small I tried to ride a bicycle, but my father didn’t want me to ride a bicycle, so when my father went away I tried how to ride again and it was exciting and fun. Unfortunately I felldown on the ground and blood came out a lot from my foot, so my older brother helped me to stop the blood. You know? I had tried with my older brother, but he didn’t falldown like me, becaues he was bigger than me. I really wanted to try to ride a bicycle because in that time the bicycle was modren and it to expensive and I had to try and learn. When I learnt how to ride a bicycle I was 6 years old. But, I still have the scar!!

That my story ….

Thank you,

Bota

After having faced his share of dust, red sand, rain, dirt, and Cambodian roads of varying conditions, Thomas was looking forward to cycle the beautiful scenic route from London to Brighton in HOPE’s London to Brighton Cycle Challenge alongside Katy Shaw who commutes to central London everyday by bicycle.

Both challengers took on Tanya’s 2009 cycle challenge and showed great motivation and fitness after conquering the 50 + miles from Streatham to Brighton Pier. Saturday night poured with rain and it was sheer luck that it cleared by 7am on Sunday morning.

After leaving London and suburbia behind, the journey took them through picturesque Surrey and Sussex villages. Taking rest at Pease Pottage service station, Heidi and I stocked up their supplies before setting off for the rest of the journey in beautiful sunshine. 5 hours later we were all on Brighton Beach sipping champagne not only congratulating the completion of the challenge but also Heidi’s birthday!

Big thanks go out to many people who made this day possible. After officially cancelling the cycle ride, Katy and Thomas were both so determined to do it they made it possible alongside Heidi who, after rallying round friends and colleagues, secured lots of funds. Not only that, she cooked a fantastic meal the night before ensuring enough carbohydrates were on board enabling the riders to be fuelled all day. She filled up lunch packs with bananas, muesli bars, and flapjacks to ensure they had enough to eat along the way.

Thanks also to Harry and Phil for lending Thomas a bike! Jo (Katy’s sister), Izzy (Katy’s niece), Steve (Old Geezer from the Berners) Tanya, Rob, Noeleen and little Erin for being there at the finishing line in support of Katy and Thomas’ efforts.

In addition thank you to everyone who sponsored Thomas and Katy and motivating them to fulfill their challenge. Katy has been so inspired she is already waiting with anticipation for next year’s fundraiser!!

After Harnessing Oddlesofdosh through Pedaling and Exhaustion, the sponsorship is a FANTASTIC £1,408.00. Can we tip over to £1,500? Sponsorship pages are still open and if you would like to show your support and congratulate Thomas and Katy visit….

• http://www.justgiving.com/thomasholdohansen/
• http://www.justgiving.com/hopel2b/

It was a lovely day! Mum had spent the last few weeks knocking on neighbours doors and asking family friends to donate a few prizes for the Meopham fete and what a fantastic response she had. There were bottles of wine, scotch, chocolates, boxes of make up, games, toiletries and silk bags up for grabs after our generous friends rallied around. It took an age for Mum to roll up 1,500 raffle tickets and place them in cut off straws which at least 15 people exclaimed on ‘who had the time to roll all these up??’

We sold over 700 tickets and raised £140.00! There were lots of appreciative smiles as locals walked off with a sparkling picture frame, a sizzling fajitas cooking set and Ted Baker shower gel. Children were happy with sweets, toys and calculators.

It was great catching up with old school friends who stopped by, the stall was kept busy with local councillors, the vicar and old teachers!

Thanks to the generous people of Meopham we can help more Cambodian children and young adults harness opportunities through play and education. Thanks also to Dad, Penny and Charlie for all their help setting up the stall and selling tickets. Big thanks to Mum for putting in all those hours, your continued hard work and support.

The prizes that were not won will be sold at a Boot Fair being held at Meopham Church on Saturday 4th of July 2009. All proceeds will go to HOPE. Any enquiries on this event, future events or to find out how you can get involved please contact us.

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=7hylqMZ4n_2b27DO655qf5YA_3d_3d

We are proposing to set off from Clapham Common (precise location to be advised shortly) early on the morning of Sunday 12th July and set off in the direction of the A24. We would like to get gathered early to avoid traffic so propose meeting at 8am and aim to get going shortly thereafter, and definitely by 8.30.

If you have ANY additional questions do not hesitate to contact us at trustees@hopeforcambodia.org.uk

Good luck with the training – see you bright and early on 12th July.