English Audio Request

I have been cycling for years. I love cycling in the summer when there's plenty of daylight after work. The countryside around Oxford is great for cycling – not too many hills and nice quiet roads. It's great exercise and also really good thinking time.
I've been learning how to cross-country ski for a year. I've done a lot of downhill skiing but cross-country is completely different. I prefer it because there are fewer people around you and you can ski to some really beautiful places. I think somewhere like Scandinavia is the best place to do it.
I have a friend from Norway who lives in the UK and we often go away together at weekends and on holiday. We've been friends for about five years. I met her on a
mountaineering course and we've been good friends ever since. We have a lot of similar interests.
My bicycle is a very important possession. I've had it for about five years and have cycled thousands of kilometres on it - it's a good friend!
I belong to the British Mountaineering Council, mainly because you get good discounts on equipment and clothing and also because they do the best insurance for people who do lots of activities in the mountains. I've been a member since 2004.
I drive a BMW. It's not really my sort of car, I mean I wouldn't have bought it myself, but it used to be my parents' and they gave it to me. It's great because it's got quite a powerful engine so is fun to drive and it's big enough to get two bicycles in the back. The main problem with it though is that it costs a fortune to run. I've had it for two years now and I really notice how much I've been spending on petrol.