Bike

My Smoke Ring challenge for Action Tutoring

175 miles, one ripped tyre and a whole lot of learning

Blog written by Action Tutoring’s Nich Bull:

On Friday 5th July this year I took on the challenge of a lifetime – the Smoke Ring 2024; a gruelling 200 mile off-road bike ride around London raising money for Action Tutoring.

The ride is definitely a brutal test. Overall it was a super wet night, constant pedalling for nearly 20 hours, and the significant physical and mental strain that comes with pushing yourself to the limit.

While I didn’t quite make it the full 200 miles, I still managed 175 miles as a ripped tyre forced me to stop around 10 am on Saturday. Disappointment? Sure. But this ride wasn’t just about the finish line. It was a journey of self-discovery, and it taught me some invaluable lessons that I want to share with you.

Resilience and the power of learning from failure

The Smoke Ring was altogether the most challenging thing I have ever done. It certainly pushed me to my absolute physical and mental limits. But you know what? It also shows me the power of resilience and the importance of learning from failure.

Now, I have a year to analyse what went wrong and return stronger next time. Going forward, I will look to prepare different tools and strategies. That’s the beauty (and sometimes frustration) of pushing your boundaries – you learn what works and what doesn’t.

The importance of evidence-based action in overcoming challenges

This experience got me particularly thinking about the importance of resilience and learning from failure in a broader sense – not just for individuals, but also for organisations. Research shows that the best organisations are the ones that embrace failure as a learning opportunity. They take stock of what went wrong, analyse the data, and use that information to improve.

A core Action Tutoring value is basing our work on evidence. We especially focus on analysing our results, even when they’re not what we specifically hoped for. This allows us to constantly improve and make a bigger impact on the lives of the children we serve.

Maybe we all need to get better at embracing evidence-based failure. By learning from our mistakes, we can grow stronger and achieve even greater things.

This Smoke Ring challenge may not have ended with me crossing the finish line, but the journey of learning and growing is far from over. Together, let’s keep pushing forward, embracing challenges, and positively impacting the world.

Support Action Tutoring and keep the journey going

If you feel inspired by Action Tutoring’s mission and Nich’s Smoke Ring challenge, there are a few ways you can get involved:

• Take up a challenge yourself: See a list of our events here or get in contact with our Fundraising Coordinator, Molly, molly.cottrill@actiontutoring.org.uk if you have your own event in mind.
• Corporate partnerships: Are you looking to get your company involved in a cause that matters? See more information here or get in contact with our Corporate Partnerships Manager, Mollie, directly on mollie.vessey@actiontutoring.org.uk.
• Volunteer as a tutor: Share your knowledge and make a real difference in a child’s life. Sign up to volunteer below!