The Old Life
Before moving to Cyprus to "live the dream" in January 2005 at the age of 40, Helen spent almost 20 years in the retail industry. She studied languages at university (French and German) and took a job in retail for "something to do over her first summer holiday."
Quickly discovering the dynamic fast pace of working in a head office-based Buying and Merchandising environment, however, she soon decided to make a career out of retail. She also fancied having that company car, a perk for buyers and merchandisers, and a real incentive for fast career progression.
Helen worked first in menswear, got the car, then moved to outdoor sports and finally discount ladies fashion. Retail was fun and well paid, especially at a senior level, but the long hours meant little free time for enjoying the great outdoors. Helen also hated having a huge debt round her neck - a mortgage - so she resolved to be debt-free as soon as possible and at the grand old age of 34, she met her husband Al, paid off the mortgage and spent every bit of free time travelling the world on exciting MTB and trekking adventures. And that ignited the passion to quit the day job and do something different.
Let's Live the Dream
The decision to take the plunge came at the age of 40 after an enforced job change gave Helen and Al time to think and reflect. Life is too short to sit and procrastinate so they took the plunge, did a business plan and moved to Cyprus to start a mountain bike and walking business Wheelie Cyprus. They've never looked back.
While setting up the bike biz, Helen found a fabulous company Solo Build It to help set up her websites which are now fully fledged e-businesses paying half the bills.
In 2014, as she hit the next milestone of 50, Helen decided to take her yoga journey in a new direction. She enrolled in a 200 hour intensive yoga teacher training retreat in Spain and is now a fully certified yoga teacher with an established yoga business called Not Just Yoga based in the Polis area.
Having retired from the bike business after 18 years at the end of 2022, she now splits her time cycling or hiking the many unspoilt roads and trails for fitness and pleasure, passionately teaching yoga to group classes of all levels and also private clients, and freelance writing and web design. She's doing all the things she loves to do and on her terms.
Apart from writing on her websites, she's also the author of three Cyprus-related eBooks, 101 Things to Do in Cyprus, the Cyprus Cycling Guide and her latest book Grow your Own Vegetables in Cyprus
Life is a rocky road...so ride a mountain bike or a road bike!
It's never too late to change your life.
