Jacket Notes: Cathy Carstens on her book ‘Getting back on the bike’

The time was right; we had just moved from the bustle of Cape Town to the tranquillity and beauty of Wilderness. I think I always had a book in me but needed the time and space to get it done.

Nature has a creative and calming effect on me, and it was as though a force would lift me out of bed early each morning — I knew there was something inside that needed to be shared.

I don’t have all the answers, but we all have challenges. I wanted to share my story in a way that would be inspirational and potentially add value. I chose to use my cycling story to inspire others to never give up, not to be limited by self-imposed barriers, and to find a way to rise and live the best life possible.

Essentially, I wanted my book to cover my story in an authentic way, including some of the tough stuff: my intersection with the evolution of women’s (road) cycling in SA and the lessons learnt, together with the “tools” discovered, developed and applied in overcoming challenges.

My heart and my soul went into the book since I had dedicated most of my life to the sciences, and specifically to physiotherapy, so I had some catching up to do on the literary front. As with most things, the initial energy required to create the right momentum was challenging. I wrote a chapter for a collaborative book, but that book did not materialise.

I knew there was something inside that needed to be shared.

I thought it was a sign that writing a book wasn’t meant to be. But just then, at the right moment, as I was scrolling through social media, I spotted a Hay House Book Writer’s Bootcamp. The funny thing is that it was from 10pm to well past midnight local time, and this really upset our little Schnauzer — she did not approve that I was not in bed.

Francois du Toit, who built our tandem and my initial racing bikes, suggested that I keep scrapbooks. I am very grateful for his sage advice as these books helped me piece together the details more accurately than memory might have allowed. I also could not have finished the book without my editorial support team.

I really enjoyed the process of writing and integrating my story; it seemed to just flow. The other thing that surprised me was that I had not really thought of myself as having played a significant role in pioneering women’s road cycling in SA until I had penned it!

*Getting back on the bike by Cathy Carstens is published by Quickfox Publishing.