This Dad and lad are on tour cycling from London to Paris for charity

Through DOCIAsport I have had a valued personal and professional relationship with the charity SwitchThePlay Foundation www.switchtheplay.com for a number of years. I have had a number of roles mentor to athletes and staff, mental health first aid training and DOCIAsport has been the mental health partner. I’m proud of the relationship, what we have done and are going to continue to do together.

The charity supports high performance athletes across a plethora of sports as they transition out of sport. Most don’t get to choose this moment; it happens because they have a career ending injury or they are dropped. As a consequence many athletes then struggle mentally as they lose their identity and sense of purpose. The culture in many sports doesn’t treat the athlete holistically and help them prepare for a life after sport and this is where SwitchThePlay comes in to fill a gap. Like all charities SwitchThePlay has a number of fundraising initiatives and an organised and supported cycle ride is but one. There are fourteen of us in the ‘peloton’ and I suspect the competition for the ‘Lantern Rouge’ (back of the pack) will be more fiercely contended than the sprint finish on the Champs d’Elysee! (See my contingency planning for both below)

I’ve always wanted to cycle from London to Paris (others I believe prefer the Eurostar and I see their point now I am in training!) I’ve done a few long-distance cycling events before but as Father Time ticks on their duration gets less. This challenge is a ‘3 dayer’ riding an average 80miles a day and I have the best support available to me. He’s only the heir to the Braid estate (and there’s a shock coming) – my domestique ( and /or my lead-out man in the ‘Champs’ sprint – see contingency planning above) is my son, Harry. He and I have done a few rides together but never one over a few days. This ride feels special to me.

Harry and I have, I think, a special relationship. The foundations really set in 20 years ago when I had a hip replacement and Harry accompanied me every day after school as I did my rehab, walking a little further each day. This morphed into what we call ‘A Boy’s Walk’ just him and I in our private space. For the most part it was a chance for Harry to share what was on his mind but now it works both ways.

London to Paris also marks a milestone for him and I. 2024 has already seen Harry and his family Ella and Billy Braid my grandson move to Harrogate (on ‘The Dark Side’ of the Pennines, but never mind) and in 10 months’ time he will be married. So we’ll always be father and son but I’m not sure whether we’ll ever have an opportunity to do something like this again. A prime reason is the old man is knocking on a bit!

As the latest initiative in my seven year association with SwitchThePlay I’ve been really excited to be working with SwitchThePlay CEO Rob Young MBE, his colleague Matt Lock and a brilliant psychotherapist Beverly Nolan because together we have created a ‘Psychological Care Pathway’ to help those athletes who are leaving or have left their sport and have developed mental illness as a consequence of this. The PCP is a game changer in the standard of athlete welfare not only as a standalone provision but because it complements the other products and services offered by the charity.

I am really proud of this work and my association with SwitchThePlay. I’m keen to support the charity in any way I can, and this cycle challenge brings together a number of personal and professional values that matter to me and speaks to my own sense of purpose. If you would like to sponsor me this is the link to my fundraising page.

https://switchtheplay.enthuse.com/pf/ian-braid

I thank you for your kindness and generosity. You will not only help British athletes who need the services of SwitchThePlay but provide a great motivation for me too.

Take and give care.