Local man to cycle 1,040 miles for Ferndown charity

A local man is to cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats (LEJOG) to raise funds for the Ferndown-based charity the John Thornton Young Achievers Foundation (JTYAF).

Dan Avey-Hebditch will start the challenge on 4 September as a tribute to John who would have been 40 this year.

John Thornton was a young officer in the Royal Marines, who was tragically killed whilst serving in Afghanistan in 2008 at just 22 years of age.

LEJOG is a famous endurance challenge from the tip of southwest England to the tip of northeast Scotland, typically covering around 850 miles and taking an average of around 14 days. Dan’s ride extends the usual LEJOG route by over 200 miles to a total of over 1,040 miles across 40 counties, including a diversion to visit John’s former unit: 40 Commando Royal Marines.

He will be riding the entire route solo, nearly 200 miles per day, in just six days. By comparison, celebrities and former elite athletes James Cracknell and Lewis Moody completed the standard route together in eight days. Before the start at Lands End, Dan will be riding 100 miles from Ferndown Upper School where John had been a pupil, to the Royal Marines Commando Training Centre at Lympstone, Devon, where John completed his Royal Marines Commando training.

Dan has already raised £1,000 towards his target of £4,000. To support Dan, visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/dan-avey-hebditch-jtyaf-lejog.