Epic ‘End to End’ charity cycle ride

TWO friends from Seend have returned from an epic 969-mile cycle ride in extreme weather, from Land’s End to John O’Groats tired, achy and bruised, but victorious having raised over £5,000 for charity.

Jenny Dalton and John Whalley joined 900 other cyclists earlier this month to take part in the Deloitte Ride Across Britain: End to End, spending nine days on the road in the cold and rain, cycling the length of Britain. The pair have smashed their fundraising target of £5,000, with the total amount  between them currently standing at £5,222.90.

Jenny, who has raised £3,039 for the Vodafone Foundation said, “The organisers of the event described this year’s ride as one of the most difficult because of the weather we experienced. There was rain on the first day at Land’s End and when we arrived at Okehampton to camp, the place was a quagmire.

“It rained on most days and in Cumbria it was freezing.  I’ve done this challenge once before, but this one was a lot harder as you also had to try to keep your belongings dry and then get them dry for the next day.

“It’s nice to be back and catch up with everyone who has donated and supported us. I’m feeling a little bit achy and my legs are quite stiff, I also have a bruised shoulder as I fell off my bike at one point. My family have banned me from doing the challenge again, but if I were to complete it a third time, I would be awarded a golden jersey, so I am tempted!”

John, who has raised £2,183.90 for Macmillan Cancer Support and was taking part in the challenge for the first time, said, “It was a lot tougher than I thought it would be. I had done lots of training, but nothing could prepare me for the amount of work that goes into each day of the challenge, not just the cycling, but the organising of your kit as well. The weather was not on our side and rained almost every day.

“It feels amazing to have completed it. If someone had told me that I was going to cycle 969-miles in nine days I wouldn’t have done it. What I had to do was break down the journey and focus on it day by day.

“It was not until I had crossed the finish line did it hit me that I’d completed it – it felt amazing.

“I couldn’t have done it without the support of friends and family. There were days when I felt like I couldn’t go on, but then I would receive a text message or a donation would come in and that would help me remember why I was doing the challenge and focus my mind.

“I’m up for doing another challenge in the future, something active and outdoors, maybe the Three Peaks challenge.”

To support Jenny and her charity the Vodafone Foundation visit  www.justgiving .com/fundraising/jennifer-dalton1

To support John and  his charity Macmillan Cancer Support visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/john-optional-whalley