Surviving One Day Ahead

25/04/2026

The Tour de France is not far away now. And we have had so much support and encouragement from everyone around us. And I feel very remiss that I have not been forthcoming with the thanks and appreciation that everyone around me deserves.
And I didn’t know where to start. But really there is only one person who deserves the biggest THANK YOU.
The one constant. The person who some how believed in me. I think I tested that belief many a time. That was my gift to him. To take him to places of frustration and tested patience deeper than a rubix cube could ever go. After all you can just peel the stickers off a rubix cube.
My husband Gary Mikkelsen is the whole reason for all I do. My leader and follower. The person who pushes me to places I didn’t know I could get to.
And here we are. Off to the biggest sporting event in the world. Together.
So my biggest thank you ever goes to you my darling. For all you do and all you are

22/03/2026

Some days the strongest in the pack need the support.
Within our group of cyclists taking on this epic Tour de France challenge we all have our ‘roles’ within the group. Not allocated. Quietly assumed by each of us with our shared goals and individual qualities.
No different to every day life. Humans are pack animals like any other species that thrives with social connection and individuals within the pack having their roles to ensure the collective good.
Our eclectic crew is a micro climate of this synergy.
I don’t think any of us would argue against Gary being the strongest rider in our team.
Therefore, that makes him pack leader. We expect him to always be the strongest. We expect him to always be the one who sets the pace or the one who falls back to support any one of us who may need it.
What we are not prepared for - but something I expect may well happen is that our strongest pack member may well falter. The ever dependable, consistently strong member of our pack cracked today. Not feeling 100% with some gastric discomfort, the day was tough and resulted in an outcome that was both unexpected and personally challenging.
This will test our pack. But it will also give us all the opportunity to look after another who needs us.
We all need help at times. In all things.
Don’t ever ever feel that even if you are the pack leader that you must do it alone. You are never alone. Be vulnerable. Be human.

19/03/2026

17/03/2026

Movement is powerful. Complete with the belly rolls and tired face.
Just do it. When it sucks - do it. Show up every day. Consistency and discipline will overcome the tough moments. And the rewards will be there

09/03/2026

A picture always says 1000 words, but often times there's a back story.
Gary has always loved his bike. And he is good at it. Very good at it. I don't actually know how many domestic National titles he has won, both in NZ and in South Africa. Truth be told, Gary would need time to work it out as well. Add to that a track racing career that has earned him a World Championship title in Roubaix last year, going fast has always brought enjoyment.
But the bike has been both friend and foe over recent years. After a devastating training accident in 2021 that sidelined his career, sport, and identity, he spiralled more than once into a space of darkness. For a long time, he felt that the best option would to just disappear, and then no one he loved would be sad or hurt when he was struggling.
That simple, just evaporate and then every one goes back to being happy and content.
We fought as a family to keep Gary with us. Blood family and bond family. It was a roller coaster, often changing direction several times in a day.
Rock bottom was found, with a resounding thud. And fortunately, that place was where Gary was still with us and ready to scramble back out of that dark hole.
And he did. Bit by bit, one foot after the other.
The love of the bike returned, but with a new sense of acceptance and appreciation of what it brings to him. Freedom.
Freedom to be with others, freedom to be alone. Freedom to feel strong, freedom to feel protected.
A smile from a face that has endured so much is the biggest reward and joy any person can receive.
There is always tomorrow. There is always hope. There is always a future.

02/03/2026

In this bunch I’m always the nail. But being forged into a tough nail.

23/02/2026

From the simplest beginnings come complex opportunities.
From complex opportunities come significant events.
It is less than 100 days now until Gary and I take on what will be the biggest physical and mental challenge that either of us have embarked on.
And we are s**t scared. And excited. But more scared.
We can't do this alone, but we will be very very alone at times. The body is going to scream for it to just stop. The mind will negotiate that maybe stopping is a sensible thing to do.
Stopping is not an option. We are on a mission - a crusade if you like - to put ourselves in a dark place so that we may hopefully raise the funds to help another person, a stranger, who is in a dark place.
I have been in a place where physical pain was all I had to cope with the emotional pain. Hot showers to the point that all I could feel was that pain of the scalding water on my back. But in that moment it was relief from the thoughts in my head. In that moment I was numb. Numb is safe. But not OK. It is a lonely place, yet I was not the sufferer of mental distress. It wasn't about me, so I had no voice.
Now I am CHOOSING to be in physical pain, openly, publicly. Willing and daring those around me to share their pain. Not to be an attention seeker, but to let others who are in a similar place that they are not alone. They have support and hope. And when we share openly and honestly, it takes the teeth out of the monster that consumes many of us. Sometimes loudly, but usually quietly. Behind closed doors, away from the mask of public life and social acceptability.
Help Gary and I reach out, please share these posts. I am a social media moron. Please, if you can donate to Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand through our page, it will mean the world to us.
Watch our story unfold here as we count down the moments in time that will inevitably take us to something bigger than the sum of its parts.

15/02/2026

Righto team, step one on our journey to raise awareness and funds for Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand.
Pop over to the link below and join the story with us as we prepare for this epic opportunity to ride for any one who is struggling with mental health.
Each and every one of us has been affected, either as a supporter or family member, or as a direct sufferer of Mental Health distress and disorder.
Together we can ride up mountains, and move them.

Move for Mental Health : Make a donation today to support Move for Mental Health