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C. Bowden.

@connorbow

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Connor opens up about his battle with mental health, self-esteem, and confidence.

After witnessing a friend tragically pass away during his time in the army, Connor found himself in a very dark place. He experienced anxiety, struggled with feeling like he wasn’t good enough, and even questioned whether life was worth living.

Although things have improved with time, Connor’s story highlights that trauma doesn’t simply disappear. He still carries the impact of that moment and continues to navigate the challenges that come with it.

Despite that, he remains hopeful that things will continue to get better and is committed to taking life one step at a time.

Full conversation on YouTube. by @connorbow

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3 months ago

Ironman Turkey 70.3 ✅

I set a goal to complete Turkey 70.3 in under 5 hours when I booked the event and to think 8 weeks ago I tore my achilles, to then race in Turkey on Sunday and knock almost an hour off my last 70.3.

Thank you to @hip_hub_hull for their endless rehab and physio also to my little support team that helped me when I needed it most through this injury ❤️ by @connorbow

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a year ago

Ironman Bolton 70.3

Total time 5:48:16 (goal time 6:30:00)
Swim 1.9k - 42:36
Bike 90k - 3:00:11
Run 21.1k - 1:50:49

Words cannot describe how amazing that felt. That is a day I will never forget and it’s certainly given me the bug!

Thank you to @efectivnutri for your support fuelling me and to @hip_hub_hull for the treatments throughout.

Also a huge shout out to my little support team.
I’m proud of myself for this one 🏊🚴🏼🏃 by @connorbow

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a year ago

Months of preparation to get to the start line.

All was going so well until we racked our bikes and was told the race was cancelled with very little understanding of why which was a very tough pill to swallow. That being said Ironman made the right call.

What is more gutting is dragging family out to Spain for support, however we made the best of a shitty situation and played like 100 games of cards.

#ironmantri #trilife taken in Calella by @connorbow

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8 days ago

Nowt but good vibes and Hens dilemma 🌞 by @connorbow

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2 months ago

Recent tingzzzz 🌞 by @connorbow

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3 months ago

My trip is over.
580km and 26h 25m of cycling later then my luck ran out.

At 0730 on day 5 I was 44km into that day then was hit by a car that wasn’t looking which has severely damaged my bike and could be a write off. Whilst I’m okay and come away fairly unscathed that doesn’t make it okay and I’m extremely gutted that I can’t complete it and this is over. This trip has taught me so much and I’m super grateful for that.

I can’t get anywhere with the local police and they will not help as I’m not a French citizen even though there will be CCTV footage of the crash exactly where it happened.

I’d like to say thank you for the support from those that believed in my challenge and donated along the way. The most important thing is we raised £1285 for @calmzone

Maybe if I can get a bike sorted I’ll finish what I started but with a support car. by @connorbow

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4 months ago

Dump from first couple of days, 246km travelled so far, 19 croissants, 1 baguette lost, 1 burst tyre and £280 down.

Yesterday was a shambles and really made me think how tough this is going to be. Everything went wrong but thanks to a French lady my faith was restored.

The main thing is the cause and we are currently up to £1195 pounds raised for @calmzone so please hit the link in my bio if you’re feeling kind ❤️

Thank you to @eyesiteopticians for gifting some Oakley meta glasses 100% saved my eyes a few times.

And thank you to everyone for your words of encouragement, they really do help!! by @connorbow

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4 months ago

We are incredibly proud to share our partnership with Connor as he prepares for a monumental 13-day cycling challenge from Girona to Hull, raising life-saving funds for @calmzone - a charity close to his own heart.

To support his mission and allow him to protect his vision whilst documenting his perspective entirely hands-free, we have equipped him with the groundbreaking Oakley Meta smart glassrs. Born from a partnership between elite sports optics and advanced AI, these frames feature an integrated camera and immersive audio - allowing Connor to share the raw reality of his journey with his supporters in real-time, get updates on the journey ahead from Garmin and even help with translations along the way.

We are proud to support him in raising awareness for such a worthy cause. Every week in the UK, 125 people tragically lose their lives to suicide. Connor's journey to break the silence starts tomorrow, and we are standing right behind him!

We will be sharing more of Connor's journey on our socials over the coming weeks, including his reasons for taking part in this challenge!

Don't forget you can head to the link in our bio to join us in supporting Connor with donations to @calmzone via his Give Wheel 🙌🏼 taken in Eyesite Opticians by @connorbow

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4 months ago

Men’s Mental Health Month.
Not long to go until the wait is over and I’m completely in the deep end.

This challenge is going to be a lot harder than I anticipated. It’s going to push me mentally and physically day in day out for 13 days. However, I’m really excited to push my boundaries and be ready to deal with what’s ahead. Sometimes stepping out of our comfort zone can be hard but in order to learn/grow we must.

Knowing I have stepped out of my comfort zone for the last couple of years has taught me a lot and whilst some days aren’t as bright as others it’s all part of the journey.

During men’s mental health month let’s just take a moment to check in with each other and not be the silent one.

If you can donate towards CALM in anyway you might just save a life. Link in bio ❤️ by @connorbow

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4 months ago

Join us in supporting Connor Bowden as he embarks on an epic fundraising charity ride from Girona, Spain to Hull, England! In 13 days We’re proud to provide him with the best tools and accessories for this incredible journey. Every mile he pedals raises awareness and funds for CALM, a charity dedicated to supporting mental health. Let’s rally behind his efforts and help create a positive change together! 🚴‍♂️❤️

#SupportConnor #CALMCharity #MentalHealthMatters #FundraisingRide #EpicJourney

🔗Link to donate👇

https://gvwhl.com/X2HEX

📸credit @_not_de4d_yet

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@connorbow taken in Hull, United Kingdom by @connorbow

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4 months ago

🚨On the 15th of June my challenge starts from Girona back to Hull raising money for @calmzone travelling through France, Belgium and into the Netherlands before getting the ferry back into Hull covering over 1600km in 13 days alone. Have a read of why this is such an important challenge, the link is in my Bio…

The logistics of this trip have taken quite a bit of planning from booking campsites to route planning and managing load on the body but everything is booked and all that is left to do is get started.

Thank you to @cpcycles @velotooluk @precisionfandh @giantuk #bikepacking #giantdefy by @connorbow

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5 months ago