Why Linesight Took Part In Paris2Nice 2018
Claire O'Broin- Linesight Digital and Content Manager
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When Linesight’s primary charity partner, the Irish Youth Foundation, came in to talk to us about the
Paris2Nice challenge in late 2017, there was plenty of interest from our strong cycling contingent!
Coupled with the CEO of the IYF regaling us with stories about his personal experiences from taking
part for several years, we ended up with 13 Linesight team members taking on Paris2Nice, with
representatives from our Dubai, Singapore and New York teams, as well as Dublin.
Over the following number of months, we got together to train as a team as much as we could, as
well as taking part in the Safe Cycling and Paris2Nice group training sessions, which were invaluable,
particularly for the more novice cyclists amongst us!
This was not to mention all of the fundraising that went on in the background! Given the nature of
Linesight’s work, we have an affinity with numeracy, and we were passionate about raising
additional funds and extending the impact of the Linesight-funded Maths Whizz numeracy
programme for children from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds, in partnership with the
IYF. There was plenty of fundraising support from both the IYF and the Paris2Nice coordinators,
which made reaching our target sum all the more manageable than we thought it would be.
Before we knew it, it was time to head off to Paris and begin the adventure! From the group dinner
on the first night in Paris to the final gala dinner in Nice, everyone was friendly, warm and helpful,
and there was great camaraderie all round. We set off on the first morning from Paris, cycling
through the dedicated cycle lanes in the heart of the city and right by the Eiffel Tower. With the crew
from Paris2Nice and Cycling Safaris looking after everything, we just had to focus on pedalling and
enjoying ourselves!
Throughout the six days, we were blessed with fantastic weather and got to see France from an
entirely unique perspective. Every day had something to offer – we enjoyed lunch in Sancerre on day
two, day three had some Tour-de-France style switchbacks, we took in spectacular views across
lavender fields and from hilltops, we hit the coast on day five, and followed it until we rolled into
Nice to be greeted by family and friends on day six.
From our team’s perspective, it was a one-off opportunity to really pull together to take this
challenge head-on, share unique memories and enjoy an incredible experience. The support from
the leadership team at Linesight and all of our colleagues around the world, Cynthia and the
Paris2Nice gang, the Irish Youth Foundation and the Cycling Safaris crew, not to mention all of our
fellow cyclists, made it an unforgettable experience that we were incredibly lucky to have been a
part of!