Meet the riders: Carlos Carvalho, Opus 2
Carlos Carvalho is Senior Business Development Consultant at Opus 2, and the other half of the brains behind Cycle to PAW (alongside Owen Lawrence from Arbitra International). Here he tells us what he's looking forward to about the ride.
How long have you been cycling, and how did you get into it?
I started cycling as a kid at a rugged sand beach in Brazil, but I started taking it more seriously when I changed the direction of my life to healthier choices in my early 30s. I joined cycling groups in Sao Paulo and made long mountain bike trips until I moved to London, when I started commuting to work by bike and fell in love with a Bianchi, which led me to take an interest in road biking. Having to carry kids on the child seat made me change to a gravel bike, which I intend to cycle to Paris on, but as soon as possible, I plan to return to a good road bike.
How did you get involved in Cycle to PAW?
I had this very unpolished idea of a cycle to Paris Arbitration Week. I took it to Owen Lawrence, who's been bringing the arbitration community together around cycling for some time now. Like always, Owen knew precisely how to make this work.
What led you to come up with Cycle to PAW?
I was inspired by the Greener Arbitration Campaign and many other initiatives that made my life choices more sustainable, which also affected my travel choices, so I started thinking about how much greener I could make my business trips. After swapping from flights to trains when possible and walking, cycling, and using public transport instead of taxis when away for conferences, I started thinking about what else I could do, and the idea of cycling to Paris Arbitration Week came to mind.
What are you most looking forward to?
I am looking forward to the last day of the ride, arriving in Paris with friends, and celebrating a successful ride and a considerable amount raised for charity.
What are you dreading?
The feeling of jumping on the bike on the morning of days 2 and 3. It's been ten years since I did long bike rides for more than one day in a row.
How are you approaching training?
Family life doesn't allow me to do long bike rides, and I had to prepare for skiing first during half-term. I am now trying to cycle to and from work as much as I can, spinning twice a week, and planning some weekend-long rides and visits to the velodrome.
Are there any top tips you've picked that you'll take on the ride?
During the ride, forget about your regular low-carb, sugar-free diet. If you see one of the experienced riders drinking and eating something full of carbs and sugar, do the same!
What would you most like to get out of the event?
Besides raising money for charity, the most important thing for me is the community-building aspect of those initiatives. We can kick off something great that will roll out for many years, bringing the arbitration community together around cycling and greener choices.
You can sponsor Carlos here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/carlos-carvalho-cycletopaw.
