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Hills of life: Lessons from a cycling adventure

Olasunkanmi Arowolo

Researcher, Lecturer, Coach, and Mentor in Journalism.

The day started well. I had a couple of work emails to review, which I completed, and then I was preparing to go for a writing retreat in Canterbury. Just before I left, I needed to print off some documents, so I decided to cycle down to campus. But before I could get there, I needed to pass through a neighbouring town. So I took my bike and got ready. In fact, it was drizzling. So I got on the bike and went from Chatham through Rochester to Strood. It was quite easy actually, though stressful going up and down the hills. But upon arriving at Strood, just between Rochester and Strood, the hill was so steep. However, I had something in my mind. I told myself I was not going to put my feet on the ground. I would keep it slow and steady. When the hill was too steep, I kept it in the lowest gear.