The Volunteer Diaries: Richard Turner
I joined the Wheelers in April 2024, after dabbling in running & multisport and spending years as a fair weather bike commuter. As a member of a running and triathlon club for several years I realised the importance of volunteering in club membership. To ride together we need to pull together.
My first role was in March, volunteering for the Dunsfold Road Race with the course set up. I’d figured that it was a simple role and a good one to get started. an early start to the day meant an early finish and that worked for me, so I signed up. There was some pressure on the day. There was problem solving on the fly, there were messages from HQ, visits from race officials to hurry us along but overall it was great to work as a small cog in the wider team with another volunteer. There was a well detailed plan that had been shared with us, we had all the signage we would need and had been sent out with enough time to complete the plan but still there was a little stress. Was everything in the right place? Was the finish line accurate?
I’d never been up close and personal to a race before, but as we rolled back in to HQ, satisfied that we’d completed the task in hand the final briefing for the Women’s race was taking place. They rolled out onto the course that we’d finished setting up just a few minutes before.
It’s then I realised the scale of the effort involved in setting up and running a race and the dozens of people required There’s a unique blend of excitement, pressure, and deep satisfaction. It’s stressful, yes, but also energising.
I’m not a racer; I’m a sports fan and reasonably competitive. I like having events in the diary as a reason to train and I enjoy being around likeminded people but at heart I’m not a true racer, so when the call went out on the forum for someone to help organise the Club Champs then, after a little consideration, I put my hand up for the role. I’d ridden at Hillingdon a few times and knew it would be a simpler organisation than the road race I’d glimpsed at Dunsfold. It was a chance to put back directly into the club. Its an event organised for the direct benefit of club members and chance to race clubmates for the finish line and not the town sign and maybe settle the weekly banter over coffee about who won what, for me, I had a chance to see the sharp end of our club racers share a laugh together. It would ultimately be a friendly audience, I hoped, and they’d forgive me any minor niggles on the day.
No matter how well you plan, something always pops up. Whether it was the lack of traction causing us to us to waver over the date, sourcing an external first aider with a week to go, wondering whether all the allocated volunteers were going to be able to make it on the day or trying to predict what the wind was going to do on the day you have to learn to trust the team that’s assembled to play their part to make it the best event that you can.
Event day was a rollercoaster. Checking signs, briefing marshals, welcoming riders. There’s adrenaline, nerves, and a constant hum of activity as it all starts to come together. Yes there’s things that I will learn for next time and improvements that can be made, but when you see the smiles, hear the laughter, and watch riders roll out with excitement. That’s when it hits: this is why you do it……. There’s a shared sense of mission, and the teamwork is real and that collective spirit is powerful.
As I drove the club kit back to New Malden there was a quiet sense of pride. I’d helped create something special and helped the club come together a little closer.
Before the prize presentation I was privileged enough to briefly stand on the top step of the podium and take this photo of all of those involved. The podium was a bit wobbly and will be better placed net time placed. It’s also likely to be the only time I’ll ever get to say I was in the Club Champs Podium, but I’m grateful to every single person that played their part in making a memorable event. See you up the road!
