Charity workers cycle more than 900 miles to raise funds

Three charity workers, Nick Bold, Chris Harrison and Tim Foster, from Diverse Abilities, have returned to their home comforts after cycling 962 miles from Land’s End in Cornwall to John O’Groats in Scotland raising over £7,365 for the charity that supports children and adults with disabilities in Dorset.

From 17 June, the three guys started their cycling challenge and over the twelve and a half days rode an average of 77 miles per day, reaching Land’s End on 29 June at around midday.

The route included quieter A and B roads where possible, but for some parts of the journey the team were forced to use busier roads. The route took the trio past Dartmoor, the Mendips and the Welsh borders, staying east until they got to Fort William. They then cycled west through Glencoe and the Highlands.

The first four days were the hottest England had seen for a while, so the guys apparently had to drink gallons of water to keep hydrated. Once the team hit Scotland the wind was blowing into their faces at 30mph and during the ride from Fort William to Alness conditions worsened and they had to stop regularly, as at least one of them became hyperthymic cycling into cold wind and freezing rain.

Nick Bold said, “We travelled through every weather condition possible. Finding air-conditioned shops to cool down in was a treat during the first week and finding air-conditioned shops to warm up in once we hit Scotland was equally necessary! We cycled through some amazing scenery, saw lots of stunning wildlife, met some great people and were shown incredible generosity – campsites that refused to charge, other campers and caravaners pledging us money and people providing us with food and drink free of charge on route.”

Thankfully, travelling alongside them was a support team, Donna and Ruth – Nick and Tim’s wives, who set up camp each night ready for them to arrive and cooked their meals throughout the trip, which consisted of at least 5000 calories a day.

Nick added, “We were amazed at how well our bikes and bodies held out despite miles of broken roads and numerous potholes and felt massively relieved to complete the ride without any injuries or accidents despite a couple of very near misses! It felt like a privilege to do the challenge and a huge thanks to everyone that made it possible and supported us to raise over £6k for Diverse Abilities.”

If you’d still like to sponsor the guys, visit www.justgiving.com/LandsEndtoJohnOGroatsforDiverseAbilities

Did you know you can take on any challenge in the world and raise funds for Diverse Abilities? From climbing a mountain to cycling hundreds of miles or trekking iconic landmarks to running a unique marathon… you can take part in any challenge and make a difference to children and adults living with disabilities.