May 24 - Day 60 - Progress Report

If you look back to 5 May, you will see the earlier pictures of the goslings. I couldn’t resist taking more pictures in the sunshine this morning as it’s amazing to see how they have grown and the patterns and colours that are becoming more visible and make them look more Canada Goose-like.

Today will complete 12 weeks of the challenge and 1800 miles. If we move from our feather fliers in the picture, however, to the inspirational aviator - Amy Johnson, then 4500 miles seems nothing to the 11,000 mile journey she flew solo across three continents from England to Australia, landing in Darwin on this day (May 24) in 1930. Born in Hull, she actually studied at Sheffield University before moving to London, where she started to spend her spare time at the aerodrome. Aviation was at that time dominated by the rich and any female pilots tended to be titled women. Supported by her father, Amy took flying lessons and got her pilot’s licence and, even more incredible for the times, a ground engineer’s licence.

With no radio and only a compass to navigate, she plotted her route to Australia using a ruler to identify the most direct route. Having looked what this would do to my cycle ride, it would mean crossing several rivers, a reservoir and a cliff face (and that’s before I’d have to cut through several houses and gardens) - so I better stick to the roads and not use the ruler on a map technique.

Given Amy Johnson, in her Gypsy Moth, called Jason, experienced forced landings, shock waves from a volcano, fierce winds, exhaustion and cold, I think I really had better stop moaning about any difficulties with my journeys. It is people like Amy that continue to inspire by their bravery and determination. For some of our clients, we see that too when they take on a new challenge at the Centre or face a problem. Life, like Amy’s flight, can be fraught with drama and/or danger but it can also be marked by bravery, love, happiness and selflessness. So, as I think ahead to the next 2700 miles, I will aim for the positive things to dominate and try to remember Amy’s words when she said in 1936, ‘Believe nothing to be impossible.’