At the March for a Safe Uxbridge Road, on 28th October, Sidi Shaktu read out this touching tribute to Claudia Manera, from her father, Ugo Manera.
"Claudia was a little woman with so many
interests that occupied her all her time. She did not tolerate injustice,
violence, and abuse, for these reasons she joined the police, initially as a
volunteer, to give her small contribution to the affirmation of legality. She
loved studying, art and music; as an amateur she painted and learned to play
guitar and violin. However, the priority interest had become sport, so much that
pushed her to leave the Police and become a Personal Trainer to spread the
practice of physical activity. She ran many marathons, including four times the
London Marathon and that of Paris. She then started to have a very strong
interest for cycling and participated in various triathlons and duathlons. She
was very strict on her training and found the way to do it at any time of day,
despite professional commitments. She had a manic care for her bicycles, she
owned three in London and two in Turin.
She was convinced of the need to preserve
the environment and for this she was a supporter of the use of bicycles for
commuting. With this vehicle she traveled km and km every day to carry out her
personal training activities, and this was unfortunately fatal to her.
This sad event has brought me back to
London after many years and I have been able to see how many dangers run the
cyclists in the narrow London streets which are clogged by too much traffic. I
live in an Italian city: Turin, where car traffic is undoubtedly more
undisciplined and less controlled than in London, but my impression is that in
the English capital cyclists run far more risks than in Turin. Hence I support
and join all the initiatives that make life safer for those who choose bicycles
for commuting and sport activities purposes.
Claudia's father
Ugo Manera"
