Name: Nicola Dorey

Nationality: British

Meet the Crew

Lisa Jacob - Lisa is my fiance, we are due to get married at the end of the year. I have to ask myself how she puts up with me after having supported me on many an occasion before, during and after various races and events. From our first week together, where she travelled for around 8 hours to support me in an open water swim in Killary Fjord, to a few months later during Wimbleball 70.3 in the UK, to every time I suggest doing something bonkers, talk about cycling, have a tantrum during a turbo session or complain about an injury.

She has always believed in me and helped me to achieve and progress. But her ultimate level of unquestioning support was when she agreed to compete with me as the first female pair in the Race Around Ireland in 2016. Lisa will be crewing for me for this race and will no doubt be delighted to be sitting in a car rather than a bike saddle.

Sean Teevan - Sean is a friend of mine who is well accumstomed to the ultra cycling world. He regularly embarks on self supported trips around Ireland and Europe but also crewed for Lisa and I during Race Around Ireland.

Sean is a font of knowledge in bike mechanics and generally all things bike related and I am absolutely delighted to have him crewing for me during this race. His knowledge of cycling will be a huge asset, but more than this, his level of care, motivation and unwavering support is the main reason that I am so pleased to have him on my team. I know from RAI that he brings a real sense of positivity, humour and attention to detail. He's also well able to put up with me during my more challenging moments.

Meet the Rider

I started into the world of endurance sport via triathalon, competing up to half ironman distance for 4-5 years and I thoroughly enjoyed it. But after the 2015 season I really felt a pull into longer events. I loved triathalon but I felt like I wanted to push myself further and test myself beyond just the physical. I wanted to test my ability to endure physically and mentally. 

Ultra-cycling does just that, it is physically very tough going, but more so it tests your mental endurance. During the Race Around Ireland I had many moments of sheer unrelenting pain. Whether that was from the saddle itself (which really was very sore) or from my brain telling me that it couldn't cope with another hour of turbo boredom. I learned a lot about my ability to just get through it. 

Having said all that, during the race itself, there were aspects of my mental narrative that I could have managed better and I am very much looking forward to working on this during this race.

Why I go the distance

I fundamentally and wholeheartedly believe that anyone can do anything they want, as long as they prepare well and really, genuinely want it. I look around at people who have achieved unbelievable things, i've read and watched their stories, I have friends and people in my life who I've witnessed do amazing things and what stands out to me is that they are normal human beings. Absolutely some of them have natural abilities and are more predisposed to be able to do certain things. But fundamentally they just work hard, believe in themselves, push themselves to really uncomfortable places and stay there until it becomes less uncomfortable. At which point, they push again.

Essentially what drives me is that I want to see what I am truly capable of. So I am inspired by everyone and anyone who does that. They show me that if I apply those principles then I will continue to test the question "what am I capable of?"