Ro Marhall tells me she’s “no one special”, which might be true if it were common practice for a mum to set off on a 1,000-mile expedition with her two kids in tow.
As it is, riding Land’s End to John O’Groats with a four and one-year-old is somewhat of an undertaking, but it’s perhaps Marhall’s “anyone can do this” attitude that’s built her a following of almost 160,000 on Instagram.
Launching her British Adventure Mum profile when her now four-year-old was just one, Marshall set about showing the world that motherhood – or parenthood – didn’t mean you “couldn’t do the things you love, you just need to adapt.”
After returning to Devon (UK) following a stint in California, Marshall launched the ‘90 Minutes from Anywhere’ series, and that’s when her British following skyrocketed.
The concept was simple: whilst her husband was working away for three months, leaving her to “solo parent [their] two feral micro besties”, she shared adventures that could be had just 90 minutes from her front door, and in doing so, inspired others to take on bite-sized escapades.
“It’s about sharing tips, and inspiration, and helping to empower women that you don’t need to be anyone special or an elite athlete to integrate your children into the great outdoors,” Marshall says.
Marshall opted for a bright yellow trailer, and says being visible gives her confidence
(Image credit: Ro Marshall)
A host of studies have shown that time outdoors benefits children physically, mentally and cognitively, and it also carries known benefits for parents. It’s a trend Marshall sees in herself and her children; “I can notice the differance between their cooped up mentality [and how they are outside]. But I think as parents, as well, you’re so much lighter outside,” she confirms, adding “I speak to so many women [who say] their motherhood journey has changed since they’ve introduced more outdoor time.”
In March this year, the UK government published new guidelines for parents in a bid to tackle what it called a “constant battle” with screens. Marshall says she’s not “anti-screen at all” but rather believes in promoting a “healthy relationship” with technology; “we definitely utilise it, but it’s about having a healthy boundary where it’s not becoming something that’s standard, that negatively dictates mood and morale.”
Cycling is just one of a plethora of outdoor pursuits the family enjoys, but Marshall observes it as one of the best. “Biking is the easiest thing to do with children, especially once they’re old enough to sit on the front of a bike [in a Shotgun style seat]. They’re really in the thick of it, you’re engaging, and you don’t need to say a lot – ‘bird, car, sheep’ – and it’s just escalated into something that now we do weekly.”
Anyone who has ever lost their temper over a pair of socks, or their mind over a pair of shoes, will no doubt question if Marshall’s past career may have been in Geopolitics style negotiation. Often, we want to get up and go, but our children don’t.
“It’s just about finding your children’s motivators”, Marshall suggests. “‘We’re going on a walk today’ is not the narrative I use. It’s ‘shall we go on an adventure today?’” she advises, adding suggestions such as making it a game to get outside, preparing the night before so that logistics don’t become a hindrance, and “taking things into the mindset of ‘what can I control?’”, such as your own mood and the timing schedule of the day.
Of course, riding LEJOG will take the family much further than 90 minutes from home. And, despite being due to set off on a 1,000-mile ride on Friday June 19, Marshall still wouldn’t call herself a ‘cyclist’.
“To me a cyclist is someone that has all the lycra, the clip-in shoes, the drop handlebars, [is] going out for miles and [on] Strava. But for me, biking has sort has always sort of been a ways of a commute,” she says.
Arguably, the ride will be one very long commute. Completing the adventure over a planned seven weeks, Marshall is prioritising a “child-friendly pace.”
“I’m sitting at around 25 miles a day, with the occasional day that’s sort of 36, but we’re also sandwiching them between active rest days that are more like 15 miles.”
Elsewhere during the 24 hours each day affords, there will be playgrounds, ice cream stops, softplay as and when the UK weather doesn’t play ball. For some stretches of the ride, the trio will have support from Marshall’s own mum, who will set up their tent each evening and pack away in the morning, whilst during unsupported stretches, they’ll stay at hotels and B&Bs.
(Image credit: Ro Marshall)
“I’ll just be exposing them to things that otherwise they wouldn’t have necessarily seen or done that day. And they’re going to remember the beauty of the journey in a completely different way to me. And that’s so fun,” Marshall says.
In terms of set-up, the adventuring mum will be riding a Genesis Croix de Fer gravel bike, with a Thule Chariot trailer and a bike seat. The trailer’s bright yellow hue is a topic we touch on as Marshall addresses her own feelings towards the road safety barriers that prevent many women from exploring the country by bike.
“I think for me, it starts with confidence on your bike,” she says, endorsing incremental growth through practice, perhaps hiring bikes to be used on cycle paths before hitting the road. “It’s also about being visible. And, when you know the Highway Code, you can utilise that to be bigger, to take up more space when needed.”
The family after a trial run adventure trip
(Image credit: Ro Marshall)
Another barrier of course is injury, something that many mothers may find themselves facing during the postpartum period. How can we get a bite of this active lifestyle if our bodies just aren’t playing ball? “For me, it’s about immersing yourself in the environment that gives you joy or that you want to be a part of,” Marshall says, suggesting simply driving to a beautiful landscape or watching the sunset on the beach.
“I’m no one special. I’m just exposing myself, going out, and seeing what’s the worst that’s going to happen from building things incrementally. If it doesn’t work, and you wanted to run, and ended up walking, whether you walk a mile or run a mile, it’s still a mile. I’ve run at a speed where people have walked past me faster. But for me, it was just the joy of moving my body, and pushing the running buggy [that motivated me].
“It’s so healthy to just feel that you dont need to be anyone other than who you are. And who you are is enough. Especially as a mum, when you move further down the pecking order of the priority list,” she says. “Sometimes you don’t need to do anything to do so much, and free yourself from that burden or expectation that in order to have joy you have to be productive.” For that answer, perhaps it’s fair to say that Marshall is someone special.
Ro Marshall will be riding LEJOG from Friday, June 19, fundraising for PANDAS, a charity that supports parents from conception to a child’s first birthday. You can follow her journey at British Adventure Mum, here.
