Riding Out

Simon Parker

From Shelf: Favourite Books I read in 2022

In March 2020, as Britain went into lockdown, Simon Parker's life fell apart. With an anxiety disorder starting to rear its head, he turned to two trusted therapies: travel and exercise. On his epic, poignant and ultimately hopeful adventure around Britain, Simon learns that life's sharpest corners are best navigated at the pace of a bicycle.

"A truly inspiring journey that celebrates the healing power of adventure. A must-read." - Levison WoodThe remarkable and inspirational true story of how one man battled grief and anxiety, one pedal stroke at a time, on a 3,500-mile adventure around BritainIn March 2020, as Britain entered its first lockdown, Simon Parker's life fell apart; his travel journalism career vanished overnight and shortly afterwards he received the tragic news that a close friend had died. With a long-suppressed anxiety disorder starting to rear its head, he turned to the only therapies he knew and trusted: travel and exercise.Setting off on his bike from the northernmost point of Shetland with only a sleeping bag and a camping stove, Simon would end up cycling 3,427 miles around Britain. En route, he would meet hundreds of resilient Britons, who were all, in their own way, riding out the storm just like he was. Even in his gloomiest moments he began to see that a chink of light was never too far away.Riding Out is a story of optimism and hope, and a ground-level portrait of Britain as it transforms from a country in crisis to a nation on the mend. From Shetland to the Scillies, Dover to Durness, Simon learns that life's sharpest corners are best navigated at the gentle pace of a bicycle.

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