China Charity Biking Recap

As you may recall, I recently had the privilege of biking over 200 miles along the Silk Road in western China to raise funds for impoverished children. This was a truly remarkable life experience for me, and I wanted to thank all of you for your support for these children, and for your encouraging words throughout my journey. After the 5 days of biking (I wish it had been more!), I did some personal travel on the Trans Siberian Rail Road, from Moscow to Ulan Bator in Mongolia, which was also quite an adventure in itself!

Donation Totals:

Thanks to your support, I was able to raise $15,500 USD from 90 donors, representing 15% of donations received worldwide! Your generosity has been truly inspiring to myself and my colleagues, and of course, means the most to the children whose lives will benefit from it.

Summary & Photos:

As it was such a great experience, I wanted to share some stories, photos & reflections from the road. Please click here to see & read more:

China Charity Biking:

• Day 0 - Travel to China
• Day 1 - Riding Out to the Mogao Caves
• Day 2 - Yanguan, Han Dynasty Great Wall
• Day 3 - Coming Together as a Team
• Day 4 - Xuanbi Great Wall, Jiayu Pass Castle, No. 1 Pier
• Day 5 - Goodbyes
  

Russia + Mongolia:

• The Amazing Race: China to Russia
• Mongolia: The End of the Road
  

I hope you enjoy and I'd love to read your comments.

Thanks again for being a part of this very meaningful journey!

Day 0 - Travel to China

Day 0: Travel to China

My trip began in LA, when my bike helmet fell from the overhead compartment onto the gentleman’s head in front of me. The woman next to me commented on the irony of having a helmet hit someone in the head, and soon we were engaged in bike chat. When I told her I was going to western China for a 5-day charity biking event, she shared that her husband, a bike shop owner, was riding from LA to San Jose to Las Vegas and back – by himself. I found some reassurance here – I’d never biked a long distance over more than 1 day before, and while I wasn’t sure how I’d fare, I certainly knew I wasn’t going to be alone.

Meeting the Team

I first met Erik from DC at the Beijing airport, and it was immediately clear that he was a bike guru, so I made sure to make fast friends J. Erik, myself, and Raymond – who I’d recruited when we worked together in San Jose – made up Team North America (ok, I guess Team USA is more accurate, but we’re aspirational). We quickly spotted Cameron, the expat Senior Executive Event Sponsor, and he introduced us to Peter, who I would later learn was a master of impromptu roadside yoga poses. But I digress…a short (relatively) flight later, we landed in Dun Huang, a major stop on the ancient Silk Road in Gansu province, where we met the rest of the first group to arrive. In total, we were about 30, representing a broad spectrum of Accenture workforces and geographies. We loaded up the bus, and headed out with our guide, David, who quickly impressed us with a sense of wit – when asked to tell us about himself, he replied, “Well…I’m Chinese.”

You know you’re back in Asia when…

We wouldn’t start the ride until the next day, so we headed out for lunch and a little sight-seeing. Cameron demanded that David take us to a local place with flies and no AC. He was also making a few jokes about donkeys, but I was too jet lagged to take it seriously. But sure enough, there I was, savoring a plate of donkey meat – and loving it. In the lead-up time to the trip, I had been so focused on the fundraising aspect (and to some degree, the training), that somehow I hadn’t even really considered all the other aspects – the food, the culture, the history. And as I had that first meal in China, I was struck by the realization that it had been 5 years since I had been in Asia (living in Korea for 2 years) – and it was an incredible feeling to be back.

Sight Seeing at the Sand Dunes

Next, we went to see a natural crescent lake amidst stunning sand dunes. As with many tourist sites, it had its share of uncommon beauty alongside somewhat ridiculous scenes – such as the camels we rode, with their questionable treatment and wretched stank. But my favorite was the fluorescent orange booties that extended up to the knee. As you take in the magnificent expanse of the desert slopes, your breath stops a little short with the sight of the little bright orange dots scurrying about like radioactive ants. But you just have to laugh.

The time at the dunes was a good chance to get to know Catherine and Candy. Catherine was on the core team supporting the event, and it was great to finally meet face-to-face after months of conference calls. Catherine would later win the prize of ‘most persistent rider’ – she was frequently the back of the pack, but always had the dogged perseverance to stick with it. One of the big lessons learned for me about biking on the trip, was how much of a mind game it can be. It takes some guts to shake off the mental aspects of feeling behind. Candy was another inspirational person to meet. Not only is she a new mother, but also new to the firm, and yet still managed to receive a large number of donations.

Zzzzzz

The rest of the day got a little foggier as my jetlag wore on me worse. The full group assembled for dinner, and I met my roommate Beya, who would very patiently put up with my western body clock over the next 5 days. Wanting to spend more time with the group, I went out to the night market, but once there, quickly realized I was way too exhausted to be mulling over trinkets. Luckily, I found an equally jetlagged Erik, got in a cab, and passed out.

Day 1 - Riding Out to the Mogao Caves

morning - 28km, afternoon - 28km

Well folks, it was time to put on the padded shorts, and hit the road. I was wary of how I would hold up against the altitude of over 3700ft and the jet lag, so I decided to hang back with Raymond and start off at a very easy going pace. Our strategy worked out well for us as we found ourselves passing towards the head of the pack. The initial ride would take us along the highway towards the Mogao Caves, a series of thousands of manmade caves with intricate forms of Buddhist art embedded into the walls and ceilings. After spending the morning biking under the oppressive heat of the desert sun, I began to get an appreciation for a sense of ‘dessert nothingness’ – and found it completely awe-inspiring that anyone could think to do more than survive in these conditions. The artwork also reveals the influence of the different cultures that came to trade along the Silk Road.

Getting a feel for it

This first day introduced me to a couple new factors – desert heat, desert wind, desert nothingness – but I had biked 40 miles in a day before, so this wasn’t the real test for me yet. But I got a feel for how things would go. We’d breakfast at the hotel, take off for a morning ride, break for lunch (‘feast’ would be more appropriate – it’s so much fun eating with purpose!), do a little sight-seeing, hop back on for an afternoon ride, feast again, and then get a cheap foot massage. We had a great support team who arranged rest stops along the routes, supplying Snicker bars and Red Bull, but I usually stuck with my Cliff bars and water. Bathroom breaks were occasionally via ‘nature toilets’. By the end of the days, we were so drained after burning through thousands of calories, that we were content to eat more, have a few beers, and go get massages - which my muscles probably couldn't have lasted without.

It was exciting to get started, and I was still eager to see where things would go from here.

Day 2 - Yanguan, Han Dynasty Great Wall

morning - 21km, afternoon - 50km

For Day 2, we started off on a very bumpy bus ride to the Yanguan castle, which was an outermost defensive fort of the Western Han Dynasty. Upon arrival, we passed through a museum of relics depicting the significance of the Silk Road as a meeting place of many world cultures. But we were eager to jump back on those bikes, and get going. Hoever, I quickly hit a little bump in the road...

My Lucky Break

The bikes had been bouncing around in a truck, and yes, they were made in China, and apparently some combination of this resulted in my back tire needing to be replaced. I had been coasting down a slight hill and on the upswing, when I tried to use my gears, there were all kinds of clinking sounds of metal jarring together. The support team along with our resident expert bike rider, Hans, quickly pulled over to help me get a new tire. By the time it was fixed, the rest of the group was probably 30 minutes ahead so Hans instructed me to ride closely behind him and a support team rider to take advantage of the tailwind. Riding in close proximity was new to me, so my eyes were nervously glued to his back tire, but there was some comic relief listening to Hans try to understand if the support team rider’s son was 50 or 15. But this ended up being a very valuable incident because I essentially got a riding lesson that would help me out greatly over the next 4 days. Hans would listen to me fumbling around with my gears, and give me tips on when to shift, how to pace myself, etc. Guidance that is probably pretty basic, but that I needed to focus on now that I was really going to have to maximize my energy efficiency.

A lovely vineyard lunch
We finally caught up with the group in a small village and had lunch in a local family vineyard. Everybody welcomed us, including the young children who turned out to be busy at work as well. They typically don’t receive many visitors so it was really a family style meal consisting of lamb, fresh vegetables, melon, beer and second-hand smoke. A quick bio break in the vineyard, and we were once again on our bikes.

The afternoon ride gave us a new challenge as we descended 12km of dirt and rocks, with a strong headwind. It was a grueling leg to slowly churn through, and I felt like it was impossible to quench my thirst. At a rest stop, Cameron gave me the tip of keeping a pebble in my mouth to help generate saliva. I picked up a cute little white pebble, and used it every day – and being the sentimental nut that I am, I brought it home with me. I had also been helped along by watching the other Sharon kick butt on the road. It was reassurring to see another strong female among the boys in the front, and watching her made me feel like I could hang in there too.

Eventually, we turned north onto a nicely paved highway, no longer facing the wind, and cruised the remaining 30km – not that it was an easy finish. I recall repeating to myself over and over, ‘I can do anything for 45 minutes’, and was very relieved to see the ruins of the Han Dynasty Great Wall and the Yumenguan pass, an alternate passage to the Silk Road. The ride back to Dunhuang hotel by bus was just as bumpy as it was in the morning.

Day 3 – Coming together as a team

morning – 25km, afternoon – 58km

At breakfast, I got a chance to talk with Gloria Ge (far left in the photo), our event coordinator, about Accenture Hope Schools. She has been very heavily involved from the beginning, and shared some very touching stories about how the schools have changed students’ lives. Over the 10+ years, she has really gotten to know the children and seen them grow up. One story she shared was about a student who graduated from one of the Hope Schools, and was accepted into a good university. Accenture continued to support him with a partial scholarship, in his 2^nd year, he took on a part-time job so that the money could go to a needier student. Another student will soon graduate from a top university thanks to Accenture Hope Schools, and Accenture is looking to offer him a position when the time comes. The common thread of the stories - that brought Gloria to tears, and make me well up with emotion again as I write about it – was the personal care and attention devoted to seeing each student succeed over the long term. She was very adamant that it’s not enough to provide a building, books & supplies. These students need the encouragement that they can make the uphill battle to a better life. It was so great to get a chance to hear some of these stories that brought to life what this whole fundraising effort & bike trip were all about. And it really highlighted what I admire most about the program: its focus on individuals and long-term results.

Formation of Team A
Day 3 was a big turning point for me. I had muscled my way through the first 2 days, but not without some internal battles of self-defeat. Day 3, I got my head together, and it felt like smooth sailing from there, even at the most challenging legs. Here’s how it happened:

We started the morning ride along the highway to Guazhou, and immediately faced killer headwinds with some rolling hills thrown in. I felt a little disheartened to be starting the day off like that, and I don’t think I was the only one. Thanks to the challenging conditions, a small group of us found ourselves gradually coming together to help stave off the wind. We started to ride in formation like a team, and it made a dramatic difference in terms of energy required, but most importantly for me, it really helped me let go of the mental battle. There was a sudden shift from, ‘I don’t know if I can do this’ to ‘how can I help our team work better’. Once I lost the self-doubt, I was soon taking my turn at the front of the pack on an uphill climb. And it felt great.

The 25km ride ended in the city of Guazhou, famous for sweet melons, which John, the program manager, told me loosely translates to ‘Mellonville’. The kids came pouring out along the road as school let out for lunch, and we were an instant main attraction as we rode through the city.

Challenge you say?
During lunch, there was some rerouting discussion due to time constraints, and but our newly formed team was not about to back down from a challenge. So we quickly swallowed our lunch and started off on the extra 22km which included a few kilometers of uphill climb. Those who opted for the revised route were bussed up the hill and dropped off with around 36km to go. And astoundingly, Hans would start late and bike the entire thing by himself because of a conference call.

We soon discovered we had our work cut out for us as we worked our way uphill against the wind. But I kept in mind the advice of Hans, to adjust my gears and just keep peddling at the same pace. Again, this helped me keep the fear-inspiring aspect of hill at bay, and just make my steady climb. Eventually, we reached the top of the hill, but as the headwind continued, we still needed to stick together.

The road was a beautiful one, as we passed by farms with camel and other livestock. I vividly remember this leg as a time when I felt such a calm in riding with the group that I was able to really enjoy the surrounding. It was a very rural area with little sign of modernity, and one of the riders frequently remarked, “This is the real China.” Before this trip, I had only been to Beijing, and this was world of difference and it gave me a much better context for the lives of the children we are supporting. As a consultant, flying one city to the next, it can be easy to lose perspective. When someone mentioned the average annual salary for the area, I remember spinning around and dumbly asking, “You mean per month??”

We stopped at a tiny restaurant in a small village for some local melon and naturally beer soon appeared – luckily it’s only a little over 3% alcohol. From there, we went on to catch up with the rest of the riders who had opted out at the Suyang Bluffs. And not too long after, came Hans, who took on the challenge, did it alone, and looked none the worse for wear.

Day 4 – Xuanbi Great Wall, Jiayu Pass Castle, No. 1 Pier

53 km

Day 4 gave us another optional challenge for Team A to take on, adding an additional 20km. Unfortunately, Team A had decreased to 7 due to work conflicts, and that meant I was the only girl left.

We packed up the buses, and headed to our next and final home base in the city of Jiayuguan. It was a 3 hour ride through the desert, and gradually the sand dunes gave way to rugged mountain ridges, the temperature cooled, and the nothingness faded as a city with a population of 200,000 emerged. After lunch, Team A again opted for the long route, and we set off at a quick pace for 10km before heading out of the city and into a strong headwind along a string of factories with tall smoke stacks. At one point, I felt the group’s pace was too fast and was making me blow through my energy too quickly. A little dejected, I started to fall back. I knew I wouldn’t last the day at that pace. Hans soon noticed, and dropped back to pull me back into line, scolding me, “You have to tell us when something isn’t working for you.” Another lesson learned in teamwork, and from there I felt more confident to bark out commands about the pace. There were a few speed demons who liked to fluctuate their pace, but when you ride closely together as a group, everyone needs to align on a common, steady pace. So there were some growing pains on finding our group stride, but in the end we became a well oiled machine, with a good knowledge of each person’s strengths, habits, and overall capacity.

Western-most point of the Great Wall of China
Eventually, we met up with the others at the Xuanbi Great Wall, the westernmost point of the Great Wall of China. After a 25k sprint, walking up the steps of the Xuanbi Great Wall seemed almost cruel, but how often do you have the chance? I had been to the wall at Badaling in Beijing, and this was quite different. The wall was narrower, and we were the only ones there so it didn’t have as much of a circus feel – minus the pink camel statues.

Jiayu Pass Fort
We hopped back on our bikes and rode to Jiayuguan Fort, which served as the first pass at the west end of the Great Wall. A key point of the Silk Road, the fort had the additional significance as the point where banished Chinese were forced to leave into the west, never to return. While the overcast sky clouded the view of the mountains in the distance, it gave the fort an almost mystical quality, and you could feel a sense of the historical dramas that had taken place years ago. Inevitably, there were camels to ride, and I quickly learned that it’s not wise to try and pet them…

No 1. Pier
Another few kilometers by bike, and we arrived at No. 1 Pier, which overlooks the Beida River. At this point I was feeling the addiction of exercise, and so while the others went down to explore the little folk town and cross the wobbly hanging bridge over the river, I decided to take a little run. I’m a runner before a biker, and a month later I’d be running the LA Rock N Roll ½ Marathon – in which I ran a 2:08, beating my last time by 12 minutes. Thanks to all this riding, my endurance was through the roof, but my knee was happy when mile 13 came to a close.

Farewell dinner

It would be our last evening together as a group, so we took time to give out some gag awards and share our reflections on the experience. Some notable awards included “Biggest advocate of chaffing cream,” “Best clothing coordination with the bike,” and “Most business man like rider” (one guy had been wearing a laptop bag for all 4 days!). The mood shifted as people began to open up about their experiences, and there was the palpable feeling that we were all a part of something very special. I talked about getting the chance to hear Gloria’s success stories about the students, and how, to me, it connected with our experience on the bikes – I certainly couldn’t have made it without the guidance, support, and encouragement of my team, and likewise, these students need the same throughout their journeys. John spoke about the diversity of this group coming together for a common cause, and the hope we were bringing to these children.

After dinner, a few of us headed out to find a local bar. We had a chance to taste some Chinese wine, which, after my first sip I agreed with Hans that it would indeed take the 5 years he predicted to start producing quality wines. It was a nice time to kick back and talk about life, knowing that we only had a half day of riding the next day. It meant a lot to me to hear about how Hans & Cameron have paved their paths, both achieving great success in the company, but also folding in family, life abroad, and 5 day bike rides! If you know me even a little, you can probably guess that this is the type of life I dream of.

Day 5 - Goodbyes

25km x 2

Today was scheduled as a half day of riding since most people were leaving in the afternoon. We would ride from our hotel to the older heart of the city. Having experience riding in Manhattan, I enjoy riding through cities because there is so much going on at once, pedestrians popping out between parked cars, questionable drivers, and…firecrackers?! When we arrived at our destination, we had a photo fest as this marked the end of the ride. But not all of us were leaving then, and I wasn’t ready to put down my bike. So I found a few other biking junkies and skipped the bus and did the return ride. This time, I was ok with picking up the pace, because I wanted to make sure we were back to say final goodbyes.

It’s tough saying goodbyes after spending such a memorable week together. There was such a strong feeling of bonding I felt from not only riding together with this group, but also working together to support Accenture Hope Schools. I found myself so touched as the buses began to leave, at how strong an impact the experience had made on me. This entire journey has been a character building experience for myself, and getting to know some of the execs who have been working towards this effort for years has given me more of a vision of the type of person I want to be, both in my professional and personal life. And it has been very eye-opening to get such a ground level view of rural China, to see the daily hardships of survival, and see how much of an impact education of the new generations can bring to these communities.