Ulmer inspires women young and old

Sarah Ulmer. Photo / Supplied

No Kiwi sports fan will forget the moment when Sarah Ulmer won New Zealand's first Olympic cycling gold, smashing the world record in the 3000m pursuit final at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

It was during this time that the Sarah Ulmer Brand (SUB) was born and tomorrow morning at Cambridge, 650 woman will line up in the SUB stride or ride event.

The SUB events are all about inspiring women to be active and have a reason to get moving. It is a female-only event that sees girls as young as 8 years old take part alongside women in their 70s.

The event has the following options: 5km walk or run, 10km walk or run, 21km walk or run or for those who prefer to be on wheels, a 19km, 31km or 58km road cycle.

SUB has been running events since 2004. It quickly extended to a nationwide series which has influenced thousands of women around the country. This year, it is a fundraising event for Plunket.

We asked Sarah about the event.

What advice do you offer to people attempting the 58km event (or big races) for the first time?

Make sure you have a decent brekkie (some porridge or a couple of pieces of banana on toast, two hours before the ride is a good stock-up for raceday) and take some food (that you know you can digest easily) with you on the ride. Also no matter what the weather is, try and DRINK as often as you remember. Eating and drinking a little bit often (every half hour for eating, every 15 minutes for fluids) will get you to the finish in much better shape. Don't panic over the training you haven't done. We cater for ALL fitness levels and no one is too unfit or too fit.

Is it cool to see events like this one to think that you helped inspire athletes like this in your career?

These events are the very reason SUB exists. To try and encourage women to get (or continue) moving and do events, which will hopefully inspire them to keep moving permanently. Being fit and healthy is sometimes something people take for granted, but often it just takes exposing someone to a friendly environment of an event to show them that moving is actually very cool fun.

Are you inspired by the efforts of the everyday participant athlete?

Absolutely. Especially now that I'm a mum and as far from an athlete myself as possible. Knowing how hard it can be to fit exercise into a day gives me a whole new appreciation for people who bite off a goal that can be pretty scary to start with, but rip into it and complete it in the form of an event. Seeing the satisfaction of so many women at their finish lines is awesome - and like I say, hopefully, inspires them to keep moving themselves and do other events as a lifestyle choice.

SUB Stride or Ride

The SUB Stride or Ride event is being held at the Cambridge Polo Grounds, Lamb St, Cambridge.

Entries will be taken there today between 10am-5pm and tomorrow morning.

For more information visit subseries.co.nz