Cycling has become more than a habit for “Granny Mave,” as Mavis Paterson is known. It has become essential for her very being, her very reason for living after all three of her adult children passed away within four years of each other — Sandy in 2012, Katie in 2013 and Bob in 2016. It was in memory of her children that the 85-year-old grandmother set out on her latest endurance challenge in May, cycling 1,000 miles (1,600 km) around Scotland, beginning from the Mull of Galloway, before heading north, tracing the outline of the country until she reached the Mull of Galloway again. Cycling has provided some solace for her to cope with unimaginable loss. Paterson cycled every day for a month around the circumference of Scotland, navigating its undulating landscape, exposed roads and unpredictable weather. Every day, she woke up early and set out riding — covering up to 50 miles a day — and raising money for British-based charity Macmillan Cancer Support. All along the route, Paterson recalled other cyclists coming out to keep her company, offering support, some of them riding with her for several days at a time. “A lot of them have all the cycling gear, the cleats in the bike and all the lycra,” she said. “I don’t have any of that stuff at all. I’ve got ordinary pedals. I can’t do (cleats)… I’d be falling off the bike all the time … I’m just a happy cyclist.” Such support was a constant throughout Paterson’s odyssey across Scotland, culminating in a crowd at the finish line who had gathered to cheer her on. Along the way, too, she celebrated her 85th birthday, an occasion marked by a party in the Scottish town of Moffat, in between summiting hills on her ride. Previously accustomed to running marathons and half marathons, Paterson took up cycling when her knees began giving her problems. She started setting herself challenges; in 2008, she cycled across Canada with her friend, though she rode part of it solo when her friend suffered health problems. Then in 2019, she cycled the length of Great Britain, from its most southern point at Lands End to its most northern point at John O’Groats, becoming the oldest ever woman to complete the famous route. With each challenge, Paterson raised money for Macmillan Cancer Support — which provides healthcare, advice and support for those affected by the disease — and her cycle around Scotland alone has so far raised almost ￡70,000 (US$88,000) for the charity. The training for such an endeavor required Paterson to go out cycling in all types of weather, five or six times a week. “When you’re my age, if you don’t train and you think you can go do something, well you can’t,” she says. “It’s tough training. The training I managed, I didn’t feel old at all.” (SD-Agencies) Words to Learn 相關詞匯 【安慰】 ānwèi solace alleviation of grief or anxiety 【達到高潮】 dádào gāocháo culminate reach a climax or point of highest development 對于“梅芙奶奶”梅維斯?帕特森來說，騎行已不僅僅是個習慣。她的三個成年子女桑迪、凱蒂和鮑勃于2012年、2013年和2016年相繼去世后，騎行已成為她生活的核心。 為紀念她的孩子們，這位85歲的祖母今年5月開啟了她最近一次耐力挑戰，騎自行車環繞蘇格蘭1,000英里（1,600 公里），從加洛韋丘陵出發，向北沿蘇格蘭邊界騎行，直到再次回到加洛韋。 騎行為她巨大的喪親之痛提供了一些慰藉。 在一個月的時間里，帕特森每天進行著環蘇格蘭騎行，穿梭在高低起伏的地形間、裸露的道路上和變幻莫測的天氣中。每天她早早起床，騎行達50英里，同時為英國慈善機構麥克米倫癌癥援助中心籌款。 帕特森回憶說，一路上都有其他騎行者陪伴、支持她，有些人甚至一連幾天和她一起騎行。 她說：“他們很多人有全套騎行裝備、鞋鎖扣和萊卡騎行服。這些我都沒有。我只有普通腳踏，我不能用鞋鎖 ...... 否則隨時會從車上摔下來 ...... 我騎行是為了快樂。” 環蘇格蘭的旅程中，帕特森全程受到陌生人的支持，高潮是人們聚集在終點線上為她歡呼。 她在旅途中度過了85歲生日，在山地間騎行的間隙，蘇格蘭小鎮莫法特為她舉行了生日派對。 帕特森以前習慣跑馬拉松和半馬，膝蓋出了問題后改為騎車。 她給自己設定挑戰目標；2008年和朋友一起騎行橫跨加拿大，朋友出現健康問題后她獨自完成剩下的路程。 2019年，她騎車穿越英國，從最南端的蘭茲角到最北端的約翰奧格羅茲，成為成功挑戰這條著名路線的最年長女性。 每一次挑戰，帕特森都會為麥克米倫癌癥援助中心籌款，該組織為患者提供醫療服務、建議和支持。她這次環蘇格蘭騎行已經為該機構籌集了近7萬英鎊（8.8 萬美元）的善款。 為完成挑戰，帕特森需要在各種天氣條件下訓練，每周騎行五、六次。 她說：“到了我這個年紀，不訓練還想完成目標是不可能的。訓練艱苦，但我一直堅持，一點也不覺得自己老了。”(Translated by Debra) | 