It was hard to comprehend why Emily Chappell (one of the women I admire the most in cycling) had invited me to be part of it. Honestly, looking at the line-up of women taking part in #WAB2017 and everything they had achieved had me wondering, ‘are you sure you want me?’ There was part of me that felt like what I’ve been doing with VCG wasn’t quite ‘up there’, so being on that panel had me filled with Imposter Syndrome, badly. Then on the day itself and by pure chance, Emily actually brought this up, asking the audience to raise their hands if they felt like an imposter on two wheels. To my surprise the arms of almost every woman in the hall and on our panel was in the air. It wasn’t just me… it was also those fearless, boundary breaking women who I fan-girled over saying they felt the same way too.
I didn’t feel like I deserved to be up on that stage, but looking back over the past 7 years, I’m finally starting to admit to myself that what I call my ‘tiny corner of the internet’ and my voice has made a difference after all. In a room filled with women who I admire, respect and am buoyed on by, it was hard to believe that they too felt like what they were doing didn’t feel like it meant a jot. But the importance of being a voice and what I call an ‘agent of change’ – no matter how big or small your voice is – is something that shouldn’t be dismissed.
