When we think of Steve Redgrave, Britain’s 5 times Olympic Gold Medalist, we automatically think of rowing. But lately he has been involved in a different physical activity – bike riding.

According to this article, he was part of The Redgrave Crew, an eight-man relay cycle team of ex-rowers, competing in the infamously strenuous RAAM Race, a 3,040-mile dash from California to Maryland. Known as ‘The World’s Toughest Cycle Race’ , it is  a one-stage, start-to-finish, clock-never-stops pelt across America, taking in mountain climbs, sheer descents and rush-hour traffic. Unfortunately, near the end of the race, Steve fell of his bike and crashed. He suffered from with a badly broken cheekbone, three cracked ribs, a double-break in his wrist and a dislocated finger.

His wife, Lady Redgrave, is an osteopathic doctor and she studied the X-rays and CAT scans sent from the USA saying he would need an immediate operation on his cheekbone when he returned home. This involved an incision from the bottom of the right ear and round the hairline, peeling back the face and inserting a titanium plate held in place by screws.

Very glad to hear that Steve is now recovering well, but these kind of incidents do get you thinking about the things that can happen when you are travelling away from home. Ok so not many of us will be competing in a 3000 mile bike race but we do often see our holidays as a chance to try something new and different – whether it is sailing, scuba diving, horse riding, quad biking or just sampling a new and very exotic restaurant. And there is always a risk of the unexpected happening. It might be something like food poisoning from the new restaurant you tried that meant you missed a few days of your break, or your passport being stolen  or something worse. For example, in this article a man had to pay 4500 euros in costs for mountain rescue and transport after a skiing accident. In another article, a 19 year old man from Surrey who had a moped accident in Asia was forced to pay £20,000 for repatriation to the UK. Although he had insurance, he did not read the small print which said he needed a license to ride a motorbike. 

If you are go skiing, make sure that you are fully covered!

These stories do shock you and may make you think twice about your holiday activities, but that doesn’t  seem right either– a big part of your holiday is sampling new cultures and trying new things. So what else can you do? Well really it is just making sure that you are as prepared as possible before you go. In both the incidents above, there was not adequate travel insurance to cover the activity. So, although it is something we always hear, you should make sure you read the small print of your insurance policy and check that it covers you. Also, make sure that you have a valid European Health Insurance card (EHIC) if you are travelling in Europe, in case you need medical care. What is more, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office recommend reading up the local laws of the place you are visiting before you go, so that you know what to expect and can help prevent possible incidents. This sounds like a good idea to me too!

Hope that this info helps you as you go about your travels this summer. Please add any other tips that you think may help out fellow travellers.