All for charity: “I’m rarely satisfied with my achievements on a sporting level, always wanting to be faster, but this time it wasn’t about the time,” writes Lincoln UTC Principal Rona Mackenzie.
They say that time flies when you are having fun. Apparently my ‘fun’ is my job and I can certainly confirm that the time is absolutely flying by.
It seems like only yesterday we were half way through our descent from Everest Base Camp when I decided I needed a new challenge. That seems to be what happens in my life… I set myself a challenge and just as I am about to achieve it I decide I need another one… and another one… and so the cycle continues.
This time the challenge was set, in my mind, to ensure that I made time each day to train, putting aside some ‘me’ time. It is so easy to become absorbed by work and forget to take part in the things that make you happy, healthy and sociable.
So I decided I needed a new type of challenge and plumped for a triathlon with the added twist of an open water swim. The setting would be the Serpentine in Hyde Park, a longer swim distance than I am used to and a good ride and run to add to the fun. That’s nothing for some people, but as a pretty average swimmer with a healthy fear of things that move about in dark, deep water and might nibble me, it was a big enough challenge.
To keep me focused and prevent me from running scared – or should I say, swimming scared, I decided I should raise lots of money for charity. After all, if I was going to risk being munched, the least people could do was donate to a charity for my discomfort!
The training began. It went like most training programmes do, up and down like a roller coaster. There were good weeks and bad weeks, a few aches and pains along the way which I put down to old age; even the odd week where work did get in the way of training. But always, in the back of mind, was that sponsorship money – I couldn’t let my sponsors or Marie Curie down. There was work to be done and pounds to put into their bank account. That was my motivation.
I wrote last month about the joys of learning to swim in open water. It’s become a bit of a love-hate relationships, some weeks I love it and others I feel like I’m trapped in an over-tight, compressive wet suit and might drown! A little bit of an exaggeration, but as the race day drew closer I felt more confident in the water and on the run: it was the bike ride that was going to be the real challenge. Well, two out of three wouldn’t be so bad!
The race weekend arrived. I drove myself down to London as I had far too much kit to carry on the train. The Friday afternoon was spent ferrying bags and bikes across London from the car park to the hotel: I was exhausted by bedtime! On Saturday the professionals took to the water to show us how it is done – their effortless strokes in the water, immense speed on the bike and light-footedness in the run was both awe-inspiring and a little bit frightening. If I wasn’t daunted before, I certainly was then! By Saturday night my pedometer suggested that I had walked over 40km since I had arrived in London and I was rather tired and increasingly nervous. Would I be able to do it?
Race day arrived and, with my husband working overseas, I was buoyed by parent and parent-in-law power who provided lots of support. Before the race I had a helpful lesson in breathing deeply (and seemingly I am rubbish at doing it properly!), lots of words of encouragement and a really nice peanut energy bar!
I lined up for the swim, dangling my legs over the side of the pontoon, and I felt positively sick. Eighty swimmers were sat alongside me and as the stewards hurriedly moved us into the water, the klaxon went off in a squawk. I didn’t have time to think as the thrash of arms and legs began… a wayward swimmer deciding to swim across the top of me, bopping me on the head with his heavy legs and feet and giving me quite a shock.
I seemingly lost my nerve – and my stroke – and the 750m felt like an eternity of slow swimming and dirt sieving. It disappointed me that there were times in the water where all I wanted to do was get out. If someone had offered to ‘beam me up Scotty’ I would have been overjoyed but in my mind was the charity, my sponsors, and the need for me to ‘man up’ and get my head down and swim. And so I did.
It was with some delight that I eventually emerged from the water. Rushed removal of a wetsuit is an interesting experience and, although I was concerned I might need a few weeks, it seemed to come off with ease – and before I knew it, I was on the bike. Oh, how I love my little bike – with people all around me, I got into a rhythm really quickly and my competitive nature kicked into action.
I raced around the Hyde Park roads, enjoying the tight turns and the immense pleasure when I overtook a bloke! My supporters had positioned themselves at the mid-way point, giving them eight cheering and photo opportunities. Their commentary as I rode passed was hilarious… I think they spent lots of time cheering for other people in Marie Curie vests and then when they finally spotted me, frantically juggled their cameras as they clapped and cheered all at once!
I’m pleased to say that the run went as well as the bike and before I knew it I was running up the blue finish matting, going under the timing clock and collecting my medal and finisher’s goodies. There were lots of tired athletes, delighted in their achievements and congratulating one another on their physical and fund raising successes.
Triathlons are great places for camaraderie, with people of all ages, shapes and fitness levels coming together to compete with themselves and their personal bests or their fund raising targets. As we had photos taken, collected equipment and munched on post-race goodies, I felt a real sense of achievement.
I’m rarely satisfied with my achievements on a sporting level, always wanting to be faster, but this time it wasn’t about the time – it as all about the charity. Just over £1,300 landed into the bank account of Marie Curie, thanks to my wonderful friends and their generosity. Every stroke and step was worth it, knowing that we will all contribute to making a difference for someone who needs support from Marie Curie. Thank you to you all.
What next? Well, as I was heading around the run I was busy deciding what challenge I should tackle next. As 2015 is the year of my 40th I will embark on 40 challenges and I’m currently compiling the list, talking to charities and getting ready for the biggest challenges I will have ever tackled. If you have any suggestions, please do send them my way!
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Dr. Rona Mackenzie is Principal of Lincoln University Technical College (UTC). She has a strong background in education, having worked in six local authorities during her career, and is passionate about providing an education that meet the needs of young people and their community industries. She is a keen sportswoman and mountaineer, recently trekking to Everest Base Camp, and has an interest in photography.
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A local family business is preparing to open another Greek takeaway after leasing a new premises in Birchwood.
The Papadopoulos family moved to Lincoln around 10 years ago before purchasing The Plough pub in Nettleham in 2015, from where they serve food including Greek cuisine.
They also own the Greek2Me takeaway next door and the family will open a second in a unit formerly occupied by an Indian takeaway at the Birchwood Shopping Centre by the end of April. It will serve Lincoln, Skellingthorpe and other surrounding villages.
Greek2Me has taken over a premises formerly occupied by an Indian takeaway at the Birchwood Shopping Centre.
The Greek2Me business was born after the family from Rhodes moved to Lincoln.
Christos and Joanne Papadopoulos had worked as servers at Carluccio’s in Lincoln and wanted to bring their own authentic Greek food to the city.
Spryos Papadopoulos, who manages the Nettleham takeaway, started working in the food industry around two years ago and has been helping his parents alongside his brother George.
They also previously owned a premises at Burton Waters, although this is still in the family and owned by another relative and now called Greek House.
Inside Greek2Me’s new premises in Birchwood.
Spryos told The Lincolnite: “We’ve had a lot of people asking us if can deliver around the North Hykeham and Birchwood area and the new takeaway will hopefully open us up to the rest of Lincoln.
“In the future we are also hoping to open other takeaways elsewhere in the county or even away from Lincolnshire.
“It feels amazing that we will be opening a new takeaway and we’ve had really good feedback from people on Facebook.
“We will be bringing good quality food to make people happy and give them a new experience.”
The new takeaway will initially create 2-3 new jobs, with a scope for more in the future.
Euromillions winner Matt Topham caused a fatal crash when he took his eyes off the road to retrieve his two-year old’s teddy bear while he was driving, a jury was told on Monday at Lincoln Crown Court.
Topham, 31, who won £45 million in 2012, was approaching a left hand bend on a country road near Louth, Lincs, on Christmas Day 2019, when he turned round to look for the teddy in the footwell of his BMW X6 and veered into the opposite carriageway.
The jury at Lincoln Crown Court was told that the child was upset and crying because of his teddy, but rather than stopping his vehicle to find the bear Topham continued to drive.
As he went into the bend his car struck an oncoming Ford Fiesta head-on, the court heard.
Mary Jane Regler, 75, who was a front seat passenger in the Fiesta, was killed as a result. Her husband Rodney, who was driving, was seriously injured.
The couple were returning home after visiting their son for a family Christmas Day dinner.
Topham and his wife were in separate vehicles, and heading for home after visiting his wife’s parents at their home at Rushmoor Country Park, near Louth, when the collision occurred, the jury heard.
Michael Cranmer-Brown, prosecuting, told the jury: “It is accepted that the collision was entirely the fault of this defendant.
“On his own admission in interview, for a few seconds leading up to the collision he did not have his eyes on the road and he was not actually looking where he was going.
“As a consequence of not looking where he was going, as he was approaching this right hand bend his BMW crossed into the opposite carriageway and collided with the Fiesta causing the death of Mrs Regler.
“The driving of Mr Regler was not in any way responsible for the collision.
“The defendant’s account is that his attention was diverted by his looking behind him into the rear passenger footwell so as to retrieve his two-year-old son’s teddy bear.
“He took a conscious decision to look behind him. He took his eyes off the road.”
The prosecutor said that the child was crying due to his teddy being missing.
“The defendant tried to find the teddy bear by putting his arm behind him and stretched back into the passenger footwell.
“He turned his attention from the road to look behind himself into the footwell to try to find the teddy, plainly not looking at the road and where he was going.
“Once he found it he passed it to his son. He said he couldn’t be sure how long he was looking behind him.
“The defendant said that when he turned his attention back to the road to his horror, he found he was driving into the path of a vehicle coming in the opposite direction. It was Mr Regler’s Ford Fiesta.”
Mr Cranmer-Brown said Topham tried to swerve out of the way but it was too late to avoid a collision.
“Mr Regler coming in the opposite direction had no chance to react. He was driving at a steady speed between 30 and 40 mph. He was suddenly confronted by headlights on his side of the road right in front of him.
“He recalls saying out loud ‘For Christ’s sake he’s on my side of the road.’
“Mr Regler could do nothing to avoid a collision.
“The impact occurred wholly on the eastbound carriageway which was the correct carriageway for Mr Regler.”
Mr Regler, 77, survived but suffered serious injuries including fractures to his right heel and ankle, a fractured sternum, fractured ribs and three cracked vertabrae.
Mr Cranmer-Brown said that after the collision both drivers were tested and the results showed alcohol played no part in the collision.
Rodney Regler, in a statement read to the jury, said: “Even though it was a 60 limit I was only doing 35 to 40 mph. There was no traffic and we were idly chatting about what we were going to do when we got home.
“It happened so quickly. I wasn’t aware of any headlights until they appeared right in front of me.
“I turned sharply to the left towards the verge.
“It all happened so quickly. There were no other vehicles around.
“It’s simple. The other car was on my side of the road and I had no chance to react to avoid a collision.”
The jury was read details of police interviews in which Topham admitted he was at fault saying “I turned round to get the teddy and that was my mistake.”
Matthew Topham, 31, of Swinderby, Lincolnshire, denies causing the death of Mary Regler by dangerous driving on Christmas Day 2019.
The jury has been told that he admits the lesser charge of causing her death by careless driving.
Topham also denies causing serious injury to Rodney Regler by dangerous driving.
The charges follow the head on collision on Louth Road, North Cockerington, near Louth. The trial continues.
Boyes is hopeful of remaining in Lincoln as it continues the search for a new location after the closure of its store in the city.
The family-owned discount store located in the City Square Centre started to wind down in January this year and became more and more empty as the weeks went by before it closed for good in February.
However, W Boyes and Company is still hopeful it can remain in the city and is looking for a new store location.
When the firm was contacted by The Lincolnite for further information it said it had no comment to make at this time.
There are plans to demolish the City Square Centre, which now appears to be completely shut. | Photo: The Lincolnite
Lincolnshire Co-op already previously closed its own store in the centre, as well as the pharmacy, and moved them to a nearby location in the Cornhill Quarter area of the city.
The Post Office also closed at the centre on February 23 before relocating and opening in Unit 7 at the Stonebow Centre later the same week.
A spokesperson for Lincolnshire Co-op previously said: “The City Square Centre has been earmarked for development for several years as part of the Co-op’s long term approach to provide a further range of amenities for the local community.
“We plan to apply for planning permission to replace the centre with a new building in keeping with the rest of the Cornhill Quarter.
“We have been working with tenants to support them in finding alternative premises during this time. We look forward to sharing further development news in the near future.
“We have also been exploring options for the post office for some time and are working with Post Office Ltd to identify a new location for this service.”