INTRODUCTIONS are always a good start.

My name is Helen L’Abbate and I am a local lady (people would say that is debatable!) undertaking a major challenge to help raise vital funds for Professor Robert Winston’s charity, Women for Women.

The challenge is to cycle 370 kilometres around the Caribbean island of Cuba. Now, if you are conjuring up images of a super-fit 20-something... you’re wrong!

Up until 12 months ago I was an unfit 20-something who thought running to the end of the street was strenuous exercise – cue realisation of my wedding in 12 months and that I had to lose some weight.

Perhaps my first experience of trying on a wedding dress had something to do with it.

Hips
There I was minding my own business in the bridal shop, admiring the vast quantities of tulle and satin reflecting back at me in the mirror, when a random woman who had just entered the shop to get measured declared: “My boyfriend reckons my waist and hips are x inches, and I knew I had big hips... like this lady, we’ve got massive hips haven’t we love?”

At that point, I was smiling at the reflection of masses of ivory fabric and then horror struck. That woman just said “massive” and “hips”.

I turned to face her and smiling she said: “Yeah, we’ve got big old child-bearing hips, haven’t we love?”
Yes, it was me she was talking to. So there and then, I slipped out of the dress and declared I would not go wedding-dress shopping again until I had lost something off my child-bearing hips!

I guess that’s where this began. I started going to the fitness classes, with my very own gym buddy who is tiny and has a backside many a woman would kill for, making sure I stayed motivated about getting to the gym.
I also enrolled in my local ‘Fat Fighters’ class as I like to call it, although Cathy, the class leader, would prefer that you called it Weight Watchers!

So, why does someone who hasn’t been on a bike since they were about 10 years old, sign up to a major cycling challenge?

Well, there is a very good reason. Our good friends were expecting twin boys and had asked that my fiancé and me be  godparents. Sadly, on Sep-tember 24 last year, Jacob and Isaac were born sleeping, aged just 24 weeks. This challenge is for them.

Around this time, I was reading my Fat Fighters (Weight Watchers) magazine. My eyes fell on an advertisement, calling for 100 women to join Professor Robert Winston to cycle 370 kms across Cuba.

All funds raised would go towards the professor’s charity, Women for Women, which raises funds and awareness to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of devastating conditions affecting women and their babies.

I phoned immediately and here I am, embarking on my training for the event and where the FUNdraising starts! My sister-in-law is joining me so together we need to raise £6,000.

Over the coming months you can read my training blog, of my trials and tribulations of going from novice to hardcore distance cyclist.

And we are just two and a half months off the big day. Will I be wearing a big meringue or will I be able to fit into the slinky number?

On Friday, May 9, we are organising The Glitz and Glamour Charity Spring Ball at the Elms Hotel, Bare, in aid of the Women for Women charity. So dust off those dancing shoes and join us for a fabulous night.

Tickets are priced at £25 and include a hot buffet dinner, live DJ and the fabulous local band twentyfourseven.
For tickets visit our webpage www.justgiving.com/helenandcarla
cyclecuba or call 07866 496 251.