Golden Summer

Having left the army in 2012, Chris turned to road cycling as a means to keep fit and find some headspace. He raced competitively and the focus on his performance was a natural transition for him, but the enjoyment began to wane.

In 2018, his friend Danny took his own life and Chris embarked on a charity gravel ride in his memory. This switch to gravel has reignited his love of cycling as he now focuses on enjoying his time in the saddle more than his average normalised power.

Having moved to England from Nigeria at the age of 10, Greg quickly fell in love with cycling. Later in life, that passion for the bike was renewed when he began commuting to his job in the city, sometimes riding 80km before sitting down at his desk in the morning.

During lockdown, Greg and his friends arranged Zwift Zoom rides to keep their morale up, and always ensured they ended their rides with a coffee, cake and a decent chat. When lockdown lifted, he was massively enthused by how sport had reclaimed his city of London.

Now his message is simple - get out there and do it - no matter who you are - sport is for everyone.

While studying at University in Nottingham, Kemi decided to destress by going for a walk. Once she returned home, the thought occurred to her; how much quicker would it be to run? And so, she started running for the first time since childhood. In the space of just one year, she had joined every run club in London and completed her first marathon.

In 2018, Kemi was invited on a trip to Chamonix, where she fell deeply in love with trail running. Instantly hooked, she began to look into local trails, regularly making the short trip to Box Hill with friends. As with many people, the restrictions of the COVID enforced lockdown put paid to many of her goals.

Now, with the world opening up a little more, Kemi is most looking forward to teaming up with her run crews and getting back out on the trails she loves so dearly. This is Kemi’s Golden Summer.

Kirsty has Rheumatoid Arthritis and spent lockdown in isolation. The first time she felt defined by her chronic illness, Kirsty struggled with admitting that she is vulnerable. She has always loved the thrill of riding her full-suspension mountain bike, but at the height of the pandemic, Kirsty didn't want to take unnecessary risks. Instead, she bought a new hardtail mountain bike and discovered a whole new world of cycling routes on her doorstep.

This summer, Kirsty is looking forward to riding the trails with friends and won't take that freedom for granted - plans will never be put on hold again. This is Kirsty's Golden Summer. As a member of staff at Sigma Sports, Kirsty has always been inspirational to us - we hope she inspires you too.

Just before lockdown in March 2020, Melodie moved to a house just a stone’s throw from the sea. She was lucky to have such an amenity on her doorstep and recognises the well-documented mental health benefits of cold water swimming.

But it was by reaching out to other swimmers that she found a really unique way of bringing like-minded people together, and has now grown an online community of over 90 swimmers. Born out of adversity, this new club will team up with the local sailing club to share facilities and grow further.

Having made plenty of new friends through a shared love of cold water swimming, Melodie is looking forward to day trips and picnics, spending more and more time in the sea, together. This is Melodie’s Golden Summer.