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| Reena Ginawala |
Reena Ginwala is all about taking life as it comes: between helping
people reflect based on Indian philosophy and traditional wisdom on the one
hand, and investing in gardening, cycling and travelling. Here’s a conversation
with her.
This
post is part of a series of interviews with ABBF’s InSync Tandem Cycling Ride.
Can you tell us
a little about yourself? What are your likes, dislikes, hobbies, passions and
hopes and dreams?
I am a woman,
56 years old, a mother of 3 daughters age 32, 26 and 25 years. I like meeting
people from different walks of life. I love train journeys and listening to
Kabir folk music – I dislike hypocrisy, corruption, meaningless and exclusive
development, violence and lack of safety for all. My passion and hobbies are to
create tool kits for personal reflection based on India philosophy and
traditional wisdom, gardening, cycling and travelling. I hope that the world
will be peaceful and joyful someday. People will learn to share, be sustainable
and honour our earth and the natural resources. I dream that people will not
function from fear or greed but rather thrive from celebrating inter-dependence
and mutual respect for all species on our planet.
Tell us about
your journey into cycling. Can you tell us a little about your training? What
was your journey like?
Since early
2017, I have been in a harvest mode… My daughters are in their fields of
passion, engaging deeply and authentically with their job, impacting society
and the world in their field – Art Curation, Adventure Therapy and Veterinary
Practices … With the youngest also graduating and standing on her own feet, I
decided to focus on my fitness and aspirations. My daughter Tanya had been part
of the support team with ABBF on their Tandem ride from Manali to Khardungla in
2016 and was taking groups this August so I decided to take the plunge and
register. First I thought I could be part of the support team but my daughter
encouraged me to start cycling and register as a participant. It was a perfect
gentle nudge that I needed. In June, I bought a helmet and a cycle and started
cycling, doing balancing asanas, pranayam and some strengthening and stretching
exercises. Soon 5 km became an easy 20 km and in the next month, I did a 95 km
ride along tricky slopes to Lavasa Dam. It took me 8 hours to cycle slowly and
rest for 1.5 hours in intervals but the fact that I could sit on a cycle for 8
hours out of 9.5 hours was something that was unbelievable for me. This boosted
my confidence and love for cycling. I fell a few times and learnt about my
tricky spots and took guidance from the ABBF team to practice certain techniques
of balancing, getting off the cycle suddenly, managing potholes and gravel
while cycling etc. I have a realistic sense about my abilities and limits now and
am keen to make a good attempt to cycle as much as I can during M2K2017.
You're all set
to do something amazing with the ride from Manali to Khardung La! How do you
feel about it? What is your special training regiment like?
I am in a ‘Calm
Alert’ state since the last few months. We will all maintain a high level of
self responsibility and take calculated risks so that the best that is possible
happens on such adventures many things are uncertain and the risks are real. A
constant effort on dissolving our fears and egos is a must along with empathy
and mindfulness. Our training regiment is as much a physical, emotional and
mental journey. We need to cycle regularly and try different inclines, gears,
work on cadence, rhythm, breathing and balance. We also need to respect our
body and give it rest and appropriate food. Self Care is the priority. It feels
good to be connected and grateful to my body while following this regime.
Can you tell us
a little about your family? What do they think about the new amazing thing
you're about to do?
I am a single
parent. I have 3 daughters and a mix breed dog in my family. Tanya works with
ABBF and is in the core team organizing this expedition. My other two daughters
are in New Zealand and Colombo. They are very happy that I am doing this and
preparing for something that I have not done before. They are quite confident
and reassured that Tanya and I will take care of each other and other team
members too will work together as a team. They think I am ready for this!!
What have your
personal challenges been? How have / do you work to overcome them? What
inspires you?
Discipline and
consistency have been challenges for me since I long time. I have been able to
overcome them to some extent as I practiced and exercised over the last 2.5
months. I am vegetarian and a bit overweight so eating right and consciously
has also been an important aspect of my preparation. I do eat more proteins and
sleep more regular hours, I also wake up early take naps during the day when
needed. I am more tuned in with my body. There is much gratitude,
responsibility and care for it now. I am aware of the need to improve my
balance so I do some yogasanas and stretching exercises that help. There are
cramps and specific pains that indicate tightness and misalignment that I need
to look into. I have also watched videos on youtube and taken help from my
friends who are into cycling since a long time. I fell down 3 times on a
particular day when I attempted a long ride. The first fall within the first 45
minutes, was when I slipped in a pothole filled with water and hit my head on
the road and bruised my elbow. It did not deter me. I cycled 95 kms in the
hilly terrain outside Pune – to Lavasa dam from 6 am to 3.40 pm It took me much
longer than others and I was almost on my own that day … in the rains with a
young IT engineer cycling the critical terrain from Pirangut to Lavasa Dam wall
alongside. I did feel overwhelmed about making it back the 45 km on my own as
he went ahead with his friends but took a grip of myself and took away the
pressure of reaching well in time. A conversation with Tanya to share my
feelings of overwhelm and fear of falling helped as she reassured me and
offered to pick me up when I felt it was enough. What helps is that I have
conversations with myself constantly and do not feel alone. I also seek help if
needed, do not have any ego issues or hesitation about that. I inspire ‘ME’ –
with humility and self respect. I listen to music by Kabir, Shiva chants and
Indian Ocean to fill me with courage and inspiration.