Someone Special.

Alma

Every now and then you meet some quite amazing.

On Saturday I joined the Northern Gravel Riders for a ride around Poronui Station, I will write a full blog about this soon, but first I want to dedicate this blog to someone who I met on the Saturday morning, and consequently rode with all of Saturday.

While we were waiting at the Mobil in Taupo a lady pulled up towing a trailer with a little xt250 on board. I was later to meet "Alma".  She has a dairy farmer just out of Taupo, and was joining us for some training. 

A couple of years ago Alma's husband came home, excited about an adventure ride he had heard about through outer Mongolia.  "What do you reckon?" he said...."lets do it" said Alma.

The sum total of their riding  was around their farm on dirt bikes for years.  

Sadly Alma's husband was later diagnosed with prostrate cancer.  He lost his battle 5 months ago, and they never completed the trip.

Alma is going to complete the trip in July of this year, in his honour.  She spoke fondly of her best mate, and I was moved and touched by her down to earth attitude about life. "Salt of the earth" is how I would describe here.  She is not going to sit around in her grief (Although I wouldn't begrudge her if she did) but has set to do some thing that many of us will never accomplish.

She rode with us all day, the first time she had ever ridden on the road, and it was a long day of riding. She putted along on the xt, crossing streams, riding gravel, over rocks....she rode brilliantly, as if she had been doing forever.

So to you Alma, you inspired me, and I found your attitude to life heartwarming.  Meeting people like you is one of the many reasons I love biking.   My life is richer for having met you.