london to paris
300 miles, 4 days, 4 people and 2 countries.
Four of the team from design to communicate (Phil, Sam, Penn and Mike), will be cycling on the 6th of June this year for 4 days. We’ll be setting off from Crystal Palace, meandering our way down to Dover, then over to Calais, and from there through the lush northern French countryside to Paris.
You can read why we are each doing this below, and find links to our individual support sites. Thanks to the guys at Skyline and londonparisbikeride.co.uk
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Phil Reid
My Dad has suffered from Diabetes for over 20 years. A condition that almost everyone has heard of, Diabetes is unfortunately affecting more and more people. For those, like my Dad, that have had it for many years the effects can be wearing. Recently I’ve been immensely proud to witness a Father face the challenges of becoming a paraplegic, the constant battle of dialysis and the struggle of frequent hospital care, all with both immense bravery and strong smiles.
I hope that the money I raise can contribute to the work that Diabetes UK undertake, raising awareness, educating people and helping research both care and treatment of Diabetes.
Sam Small
My step brother Scotty is an exciting person to be around, passions for Nintendo DS and Sonic the Hedgehog are just some of the things that make him unique. For him, living with autism is a way of life. Last year he turned 18 and was able to move out of home and into his own flat. He loves it, and with the help of supported living he’s able to develop everyday skills such as cooking a good chicken dinner. Relieving the need for continued family care and providing freedom to those affected is just one of many things Autism West Midlands do which is why I’ve chosen to raise money for their work and hopefully help make a difference for people living autism.
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Penn Glendinning
This past August my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. After the tumor was discovered, doctors immediately went in and were able to remove it entirely. Luckily, it was caught early and hadn’t gotten a chance to grow or spread. She has endured the many rounds of chemotherapy with an open and grateful heart and has been a powerful example to those who know her.
I’m doing this bike ride to physically demonstrate the respect I have for my mom’s strength throughout her battle, and to better understand, in some way, what it means to conquer a challenge. I also hope, by raising this money, many others will be able to conquer the incredibly difficult challenge of a cancer diagnosis.
Mike Hatcher
In our fast-paced and success-oriented society, fortune favours the bold — but for those affected by mental health problems, being told to “pull yourself together” really doesn’t help matters.
Mind campaigns vigorously to create a society that promotes and protects good mental health for all, and that treats people with experience of mental distress fairly, positively and with respect.
By raising money for this valuable cause, and helping to raise awareness of mental health issues, I hope to challenge perceptions and contribute to eroding the stigma associated with mental health.