What remains

There is no good time to write my thoughts down. The time to let my shoes go has come. The shoes my mother bought me during a visit to the velodrome in Athens.

I got the most expensive shoes and pedals. €250 each. It must have been around 2008.

I replaced them in 2023. Fifteen years of use.

What remains is my mother’s intention, and what she did to support me, to help me grow. “You’re worth it,” she told me. I believed her.

They’ve seen many kilometers. Wins too. It's not so much about the medals, but character wins. Constant effort. Faith. Pedaling towards my goal. To understand who I am. To express myself through dedication.

How can I let these shoes go? I let them go long ago. They sit in a box and I drag them around. Pulling my fears apart reveals my anxiety about losing what I’ve won. But what I’ve won is always in me. They shaped me. That will remain.

It’s time to let go of the material.

The spirit stays.

Thank you.

I’m grateful.