Eric ‘Chicken Legs’ de Jong

Eric is 59 years old and has been riding socially for +/- the last 5 years. His ex-friends call him Chicken Legs although he has no idea why because he far prefers the other bits on a roast Chicken. Eric has four Blue Cross rides – 500 kilometres from the lowest point in Zimbabwe to the highest- under his belt. Other notable sporting achievements include a starting berth in the Allan Wilson under 15 C rugby team which enjoyed a two match winning streak, a fifth place finish in the 100 meter hurdles and he rode from Harare to Cape Town via Hotazel. Next up is Harare to Mt Kilimanjaro.

When he is not falling off bicycles, Eric grows cut flowers for export and the best seedlings in Mt Hamden on a farm on the outskirts of Harare. In his dreams, Eric is a best-selling novelist. To this end, he wakes up most mornings at 04.30 and tries to get an hour and a bit of writing before he has to rush off and grow seedlings.

Eric is married to Jenny and has 3 grown children and a pair of too cute granddaughters who call him Eric. Had he known how cute grandchildren were, he would’ve cut holes in his children’s condoms long ago.