Tour de Ceylon: Cycle Breaking Education

Words: Ella Wake

Ella Wake in tea country, Sri Lanka. Photo: Ella Wake.

From Left to Right: Cyclists Charlotte Towse, Eirin Harterink,
Ella Wake, Iris Harterink, Abby Cryer and Kennedy Barnes.
Photo: Charlotte Towse.

This trip has been the greatest physical feat of my life so far. I committed to cycling the length of Sri Lanka in 10 days in November and had a month of training leading up to departure in January. I had no prior bikepacking or significant cycling experience. In fact, I refused to touch a bike for years after being hit by a car in a minor accident.

We rode as a team of 7 wahine, representing New Zealand, Australia, England, Denmark and Norway. Eirin, the organiser, had lived in a small Sri Lankan village, working as an English teacher when she met 13 young girls between 9 and 17. These girls, bright and kind, had all been orphaned or removed from unsafe homes and placed under Government care, which ends abruptly at 18.

She saw their difficult trajectory and wanted to change their stories. Her NGO, Hey Sister, was born, and cycling the country kickstarted it. She gathered a team, designed a route, and launched a GoFundMe. When we met in Sri Lanka, we had limited training, no bikepacking experience, and a random collection of gear, but plenty of enthusiasm and incredible sponsorships between us.

Thai Pongal celebrations at local family’s house in Jaffna
with Dutch Ceylon.

Ella and the lovely children.

And so, it began! Day One was an 80km loop to Point Pedro, the northernmost point. This tested our setups. Two had their own road bikes; the rest used hard-tail mountain bikes lent by Sri Lanka’s biggest bike manufacturer, Lumala. We quickly found our flow. Day Two was 132km along the west coast from Jaffna to Mannar. A crash within the group left one cyclist sore and the rest spooked—a wake-up call.

The Hey Sister Team watching the rice ceremony during
Thai Pongal. Photo: Kennedy Barnes.

The team resting and refuelling at Anura Tea House.
Photo: Kennedy Barnes.

The people of Sri Lanka are extremely kind and hospitable. They are incredible hosts, opening their doors to 7 smelly, sweaty and exhausted white women + all of their bikes and baggage. We had most of our Airbnb stays discounted or free due to us cycling for charity, which we were extremely grateful for. Hosts would rush to help us in any way they could, from doing copious amounts of washing, cutting down coconuts from their trees for us to drink, cooking us delicious Sri Lankan meals and gifting us with sweet treats and gifts to take home.

Ella and (most) of the contents of her bags. Photo: Abby Cryer.

Ella, Iris and Charlotte spontaneously visiting a temple in Kandy with tuk tuk driver Ranga Prasanna. Photo: Ella Wake.

Ella gifting a local child with a keychain from Australia. Photo: Kennedy Barnes.

Day Three took us 131km inland from Mannar to Anuradhapura before a rest day. We’d been blessed with smooth roads and rolling hills, helping us build fitness. We found our rhythm and would break the day into 3 major shifts. We were having to consume 5 big meals a day, plenty of snacks, gels and often 5L of water with electrolytes to keep us going. We would always find a local spot to eat and would inevitably take over with our 7 bikes outside, and 7 tired girls inside. The locals would bring out plate after plate of food: rice, curry, dhal, rotis, parathas, omelettes, coconut sambal and 7 coffees.

The locals delighted in our restaurant takeovers, I guess we were about as alien as you could get for them, especially in the most isolated towns. With our bike shorts and singlets or sports bras we were scandalous by local standards – I’ve never had so many people stare at my legs. As white women, as cyclists and as a big group of us, we attracted a lot of attention. Despite the blatant stares, they were always friendly and well-meaning with the biggest smiles, waves and encouragement. We were asked for an astronomical amount of selfies and photos, god knows where they end up, but we joked that they likely end up printed and framed in the family home.

Back: Eirin, Charlotte, Iris, Abby; Front: Ella, Kennedy
in front of Lion Rock, Sigiriya. Photo: Ella Wake.

The team eating up a storm (a common sight) at
a local restaurant. Photo: Ella Wake.

On Day Four, Line, who was injured in the crash, decided to go home. She had already ridden over 1000km, having cycled up the country to meet us. Day Five was a shorter, enjoyable 75km ride from Anuradhapura to Sigiriya, despite torrential rain. The region is known for wild elephants and towering rock formations, though all we saw was elephant poo.

The rain continued, making conditions tough, but I felt for the locals. We passed flooded communities, yet people still waved and smiled as people fled their homes. Day Six was 83km from Sigiriya to Matale, with 660m elevation.

The team visiting The Golden Temple in Dambulla (Ella, Eirin, Kennedy, Charlotte). Photo: Ella Wake.

Eirin and Ella mid-journey on Day Five. Photo: Kennedy Barnes.

Despite being only 21km, Day Seven was mentally the hardest for me. A steep climb of 200m in 2km shocked my system, making me shed 2.5kg of gear at a post office in Kandy. I was sore and struggling, as was Abby, who battled abdominal pain worsened by cycling. She saw doctors along the way but kept pushing.

By Day Eight, 77km with 1,400m elevation, Abby considered stopping. Five minutes in, a bike’s brakes locked. I called my brother, a former bike mechanic, who walked me through a fix via FaceTime, but I was lost. Luckily, a friend, Katie, and her bike mechanic boyfriend, Albert, were in Kandy and rushed over in a tuk-tuk to help. He got us back on track.

The team of locals who excitedly helped Eirin fix her bike mid-breakdown. Photo: Ella Wake.

Sisters Eirin and Iris during a quick break.
Photo: Kennedy Barnes.

Day Nine was unexpectedly gruelling. With 100km and 1,300m elevation, we knew it’d be tough, but poor road conditions made it worse. We climbed steep, pothole-filled roads up to 13% gradient. A teahouse stop was a lifesaver. After lunch, Abby couldn’t continue and squeezed into a tuk-tuk with her bike. Charlotte suddenly fell ill with food poisoning. Still, we had 40km to go with limited daylight.

As we pressed on, Eirin’s bike broke down. Ten locals surrounded her, speaking excitedly in Singhalese, eager to help. They fixed it, only for it to break again 1km later. By the third breakdown, we sought a mechanic. With dying phones, aggressive stray dogs, and an unexpected hilly route, stress levels rose. But despite everything, we pushed through. We arrived in Udawalawe in the dark—lesson learned.

Then we did it! Day Ten: 93km from Udawalawe to Dondra Lighthouse, the southernmost point. Blood, sweat, and tears carried us to the finish line, where we embraced in relief and triumph.

Sisters Eirin and Iris embracing with Charlotte and Ella watching at the finish line. Photo: Kennedy Barnes.

The team celebrating at Dondra Heads, the southernmost point of
Sri Lanka (Left to right: Ella, Charlotte, Eirin, Iris, Abby, Kennedy).
Photo: Kennedy Barnes.

The next day, we cycled 30km to the Girls’ Home in Akuressa. We were greeted by the girls in pink costumes who performed dances and got us to join. Though they spoke little English, we played volleyball, tag, and other games. We left exhausted but full of aroha. That morning, we had surpassed our $20,000 AUD fundraising goal, funding these girls’ higher education.

Young Sri Lankan girls commuting to school on the back
of their family moped. Photo: Kennedy Barnes.

We all fell in love with cycling and bikepacking. The freedom, self-sufficiency, and the satisfaction of being powered by our own legs were unparalleled. I learned my body and mind could achieve great feats—over 800km in 10 days—despite never having cycled more than 15km before.

In Sri Lanka, it was groundbreaking to see women cycling. I didn’t see a single Sri Lankan woman on a bike. Men ride everywhere, but for women, it’s against cultural norms. We relished how women’s eyes twinkled as they watched us, how young girls stared in awe, and how fathers proudly showed their daughters. I hope we inspired a shift in perception—showing that women are just as capable, even if it starts with something as simple as riding a bike.

Ella and wonderful assistant Minu cleaning the
bikes post-trip before returning them to Lumala.
Photo: Kennedy Barnes.

The Hey Sister team, including Eirin’s choice of cycling footwear (jandals). Photo: Kennedy Barnes.

Thank you to Ground Effect for this platform. To our sponsors — Lumala, Cykel, Sports Nutrition Hub, Dutch Ceylon, Pargo, Illab, Oranga Saunas — and the 400 donors who supported us, thank you for enabling this journey and uplifting these young girls.

Our GoFundMe page is still open. If this story has inspired you, any donation, big or small, is deeply appreciated!