Team Zoe Crack Open The Champaign

Well what can i say? Team Zoe did it!!!! Whoooooaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh! At a little after 5.30pm on Sat 1st June, I cycled into Southampton dock with my incredible 3 team mates, Jim Altham, Tom Lister and the super-incredible Ben Cooley, after cycling 1700 miles all the way across Europe from Riga in Latvia.

I don't think i've ever experienced such elation and emotion and that arrival was just below having children but above everything else. We have been through so much together and bonded so well; we have bled, cried, sweated, crashed and vomited across 6 countries and we have needed each other and a whole lot of back up to get us through.

I wish i could have kept up the blog every day towards the end to capture the sense of exhaustion and exertion, cramming so much into every day, new experiences all the way. There simply was no breathing space from leaving Germany on Monday morning to arriving in London on Friday night.

I promised some pics of that so here's the awesome foursome at Westminster with Dean Andrews (Last Tango in Halifax, life on Mars) and Matt Barbette (ITV's Daybreak). Great friendly guys to ride with. Thanks to them both.

Then as well as team and individual photos outside no. 10 ... we bumped into Damian Lewis (Band of Brothers, Homeland etc) So what a night ...

So on Sat 1st June the alarm clock went off at 6.30 as usual and as I dragged myself out of bed one more time to don the lycra and go down for another mammoth breakfast I realised this was the last time I had to do this. 

It was brilliant to ride with Tim, Sam and Andrew from my church in Morden, and mate Steve from Balham along with about 40 other crazy dudes in lycra. But after another 86 miles the other 40 riders graciously held back and let us 4 whizz into Southampton and across the finish line to great applause and fanfare. I couldn't have wished for a better reception from all the supporters and Hope for Justice Team. The welcome from the coach load from Morden was amazing.  It simply took my breath away and reduced me to tears.

I was so proud to do it with Ben Tom and Jim - we were an amazing team and it was such a privilege to be with them on Zoe's Journey. Each of them went through the pain barrier (Jim's achilles tendon flared up on Monday on the way to ten Ferry and needed patching up with tape every day to get through).

The celebration event in the evening with Rend Collective was brilliant and humbling to be honoured like that. I've never felt quite like that before. Overwhelmed.

Doing the Zoe Challenge has change my life. I don't quite know the full extent yet, but i'll never be the same again. What next? Who knows? (maybe a break from cycling for a few days eh?) But one thing I do know is that Ben was right at the final event: its Our Turn (we went through a town in Germany called Artern). We can't leave it to Ben Cooley; it's all our responsibility to end slavery and human trafficking in our generation. We've gone through all this so that more Zoes can first be rescued, and secondly prevented from ever being sold into slavery in the first place. Will you join us? Will you give? Will you support, will you follow, will you campaign? Please join us on this incredibly challenging journey. Its Our Turn!

Thanks so much for following and for all the messages of support - words cannot describe how privileged I feel. It's not the end - it's the beginning. Let's open Zoe's Hub!

To Give go to www.justgiving.com/Gavin-Murray2 or text ZOEG71 £10 to 70070

For more info go to www.hopeforjustice.org.uk

Nearly Over ...

There are not enough words to describe how shattered I am right now. Let me try to describe briefly what ive been up to. 

Monday we rode 100 miles to the edge of Germany, where we sculpted our best moustaches 

Tuesday 110 across holland to catch the ferry with 5 mins to spare

Wednesday was the big launch from the William Wilberforce monument and did 60 to Leeds where we'd been greeted by press and tv etc, and then had a big fundraising event in the evening and got to bed at 12.30; 

Thursday we ride 111 miles  through Yorkshire and Derbyshires worst hills, being greeted by my amazing family as we arrived. And today scraped myself out of bed at 6.30 again to cycle 118 miles into London, for photo shoot by Westminster and, get this, photos outside no. 10 Downing Street!!!!! didn't get dinner till - 10pm (ill post the photos when i get them). but here's one as we passed Buck Pal

Now writing this waiting for my turn with some really hot physio called Sal ...

So so much more to describe and reflect on but haven't got the energy. One more morning of getting up early, cramming my mouth with a massive breakfast and jumping on the bike. 86 miles to go on the final leg to Southampton. See some of you there. 

 Lets end human trafficking.

The Gavla

Day 13 Hoxter to Hamm

1 word: Drenched. 86 miles in heavy rain and head wind. Photo below was taken at 1st stop after only 14 miles and we were totally wet thru and frozen. Thought Ben was in danger of hypothermia! 

Used all our kit which is now hanging in a v smelly bathroo. In the hope it will dry out. This is so tough, mentally and physically. Breakfast at 7 tomorrow as we have 100 miles to get to the German border and then 112 on Tuesday to be to the Rotterdam ferry port. Can't afford to miss that. Incredible job by team Zoe today and our fab support team Isaac. Helen and Ed. keep supporting and keep spreading the word. 6 days to go. 1100 miles done. 

Day 12 Bad Frankenhausen to Hoxter

Wow. What a day. Utter exhaustion mixed with elation. We did it. We knew today would be hard: 106 miles and the hilliest day of the trip. But what made it so hard was the head wind which we've had constantly for 5 days and today was strong. Add to that rain for the last 3 hours meant we were wasted but deleriously happy when we passed the sign for Hoxter 

Can't believe we've done 12 days. Today we passed the old border from east to west Germany, now only marked by this sign

Best bit of the day was reaching this forest summit near the end which was followed by a 5 mile descent at 35mph. 

Awesome and worth the frozen face and fingers. (PS my crotchisn'tk  on fire - its my headlight!) Ben did so well again as he lived up to his name: the Vom-cano! I've been called The Camel due to my rather long toilet stops! Jim is simply The Animal - coz he is. And Tom is Captain Calamity. Need I say more?

Now only 3 days to the UK where we're hoping and praying for massive media interest and national impact. Think it's gonna be manic. 

At dinner tonight Helen and Ed, our tour guides from DA, told us it was only 86 miles tomorrow and Team Zoe gave a huge collective sigh of relief! Still a head wind forecast tho! This team is absolutely awesome. Incredible bunch of guys. Night.

Day 11 Bad Duben to Bad Frankenhausen

Absolutely knackered. Not feeling well at all today and so really struggled, mentally and physically. Worst day for me, cried at the end! Pretty bad for Ben too, he was worse, being sick 6 times. But he was amazingly determined and as soon as we finished he filmed a great speech to Isaac. Incredible. 86 miles with really steep hill upto hotel in beautiful city. 

We celebrated Jim's birthday and had a great laugh. 

Couldn't have got thru the day without the team. Truly awesome. Could say more but so exhausted need to sleep. 105 miles tomorrow and hilliest day!!! Argh

Day 10 Cottbus to Bad Duben

Great and eventful day. Cold start, hence being in full kit below by yet another dreaded section of cobbles.

The morning continued through my favourite terrain: pine forest.

But then something happened that we never thought would ... Jim, The Beast, The Butcher, fell off. Thankfully at v low seed, but still enough to draw blood on his finger. 

True to the legend he was back up and cycling in a flash, telling us to stop worrying, "I'm absolutely fine". Respect.!

After lunch, Tom #captaincalamity bust hid cleats which meant a long wait forthe van to find us.

That left us a lot of cycling and we really took it up a gear and hammered out a good rhythm of 22 mph. Riding close in a group at that speed is fantastic and Ben loved it so much he burst into a sprint after 90miles to take the lead.

Proud to be in Team Zoe and making every mile count for freedom. If you haven't given please do. It's after midnight now so gotta sleep; several days of 90 miles now. Pray for no head winds. Night. 

Cold & Wet in Deutschland

Day 9 Zielona Gora, Poland to Cottbus. Germany

Started well through more great forests.

Only 63 miles but really not fun at all. Third day of head winds and they got stronger today and just before lunch we got soaked and stung by torrential hail. Helen from DA (Discover Adventure) had cooked a great Thai green curry so that warmed us up.

But the afternoon was cold, extremely windy and wet. Yes, the vests have been packed away and the leggings and jackets are out. Ben even had his thermal hat on. We're getting an idea of the weather in the UK! 

Best story is that Team Zoe crossed another border: finally left Poland and entered Germany. 3 countries down, 3 to go. Well done Team. A week today we land at hull and ride to Leeds.

Have to pay for WiFi at the hotel so this will be uploaded late! Better roads already. Hope you're enjoying all the videos being posted on the zoechallenge website. Huge huge thank you for all sponsorship, prayers and encouragement. I'm sure you'll understand I can't thank everyone personally but I really appreciate it. Have a great day. 

The Gavla