Pinktober in Dubai: 25 women cycle 85km for breast cancer

A group of 25 women dressed mostly in pink rode more than 85 kilometres around the cycling track in Al Qudra to raise awareness for breast cancer. The initiative was a personal mission for some members of the Velo Vixen cycling group, however, for others it was a way of getting the message across to the wider community.

Breast cancer survivor Philippa Glover was one of the members of the ride today. “I wanted to spread the word so that more women get themselves checked,” she said. A year after being turned away for a mammogram because she was too young, Philippa developed a lump on her breast at the age of 33. “I ignored it for almost six months thinking it was nothing,” she said.

“But when I finally got it checked and realized it was cancer, I was shocked. I was lucky that it had not spread to my lymph nodes, and I immediately underwent chemotherapy.”

Since her diagnosis ten years ago, Philippa said she has changed her life tremendously. “I am open to more experiences, and I have done a lot of adventure sports like sky diving and wakeboarding,” she said. “I also did a course in nutrition to improve my eating habits. I didn’t want to stay on all the pills that I was having after my treatment, so I started eating healthier, home-cooked meals.”

For newbie cycling enthusiast Yvette Barrett, it was the longest ride of her life. “I have only ridden about 40 or 50 kilometres prior to this,” she said. “So, I was pretty nervous if I would be able to complete it, but the ride was so amazing. Everyone was watching out for each other, no one was left behind and it felt great to be riding with such amazing women.”

The ride was a personal one for Yvette, who lost her aunt to breast cancer. “My aunt was a national swimmer and losing her was pretty hard for the family,” she said. “My mother was with her throughout her illness, so I really wanted to do the ride for her.”

Velo Vixen

The cycling group was founded by Dubai resident Emma Woodcock in 2010 after noticing how much the sport was helping her lose weight and maintain her health. Sexagenarian Alison Kirrage was one of the first members of the group. "We were only 7 or 8 women who were meeting up to cycle,” she said. “Today we have over 1,000 ladies on our Facebook group who meet up as often as we can to ride."

The first time the women rode on the then-newly opened Al Qudra loop, Alison said it “took forever” and she did not have any of the right gear for cycling. “I was on a beaten-up bike,” she said. “And I had borrowed my shorts from someone".

"However, being part of Velo Vixen has helped to keep me going.” Today, Alison rides at least 500 kilometres every week and has competed in international races. “Last summer I participated in competitions in London and Paris and in March, I am going to Cyprus.”

However, the one thing Alison does is to keep the group open for everyone, including newbie cyclists. “I know that it can be intimidating for new people to come and join a ride,” she said. “So, we try to keep it as open and friendly as possible. We want more people to experience the joy of cycling. It is a great exercise that is easy on the knees and helps to build a community of friends.”

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