Ex-soldier smashes bike record to get to the chapel on time
A FORMER special forces soldier told yesterday how he raced across two continents on a push bike in world record time to make it home for the royal wedding.
Dean Stott was on day 70 of a gruelling 14,000-mile, pan-American challenge from Argentina to Alaska when wife Alana, 35, called to say an invitation had come through the post. It left the 40-year- old, who became friends with Prince Harry in the Army in 2007, needing to finish the charity ride within 32 days to make it back home in time for tomorrow’s ceremony.
Speaking after landing at Heathrow yesterday, he said: ‘You couldn’t write it. When I set off I wasn’t aware I was going to the wedding. In my head I was like, “I’ve got a bit of time if I want to have a rest on the odd day”, but that was all taken away when my wife rang and said, “we’ve been invited to the wedding”.’
The extra push helped him finish in less than 100 days – smashing the Pan-American Highway World Record by 18 days.
‘It was the pressure of finishing it in time for the wedding,’ he said. ‘My wife would probably divorce me if I didn’t do it. I was honoured to receive the invitattion. Even now I still haven’t really taken it in.’
Mr Stott is hoping his ride will raise £1million for the Heads Together campaign launched by Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in a bid to end the stigma around mental health.