Kentish Express Ashford & District
Friends in the saddle for Spanish conquest
£10,000 fundraising challenge for cyclists
A teenager and two of his college chums have set off on a marathon charity cycle ride from England to Spain.
Alistair Gethin, from Newenden, is taking on the massive challenge of cycling from Bicester to Bilbao with friends Alex Milne and Cosmo Cotton, to raise money for Helen and Douglas House, a children’s and young adults’ hospice in East Oxford.
The trio started off on Sunday and their route on the first day took them 110km from Bicester to Andover, just south of Newbury. They then cycled to Portsmouth to take the ferry to St Malo on day two.
Alistair, a Year 12 student at Radley College in Oxford, said: “We chose Helen and Douglas House because it is a local charity and supports teenagers.
“We know how fortunate we are to be able to go out with friends, go to music festivals and play sports.
“Many of the young adults who go to Douglas House are not so fortunate. Having visited twice, we think that it really is a very special place.”
They will have a combined budget of £50 a day for accommodation and plan to cover the 1,126km distance to the Spanish port in 14 days, with one planned rest day. The aim is to arrive in Bilbao on July 18 where they will be met by family and friends.
Alistair added: “We chose a cycle challenge because we imagine that the sense of satisfaction when we reach Bilbao after having cycled over 1,100km will be extraordinary. To look at a map and see that we have cycled through three countries rather than three counties seems more impressive.”
The trio were initially unsure about their ambitious fundraising target of £7,500 but with the encouragement of friends to raise £10,000, they created a Bicester to Bilbao, Spain Facebook page.
Janet Carruzzo, community fundraiser for Helen and Douglas House, said: “The boys have already raised £12,000, smashing their target of £7,500 which is amazing and this will pay for 65 hours of care. We wish them a wonderful and safe trip to Bilbao.”
Alistair said: “I think we are most looking forward to the final downhill into Bilbao having crossed the Pyrenees and the hills of the Basque country.
“We imagine that in the heat of the Spanish sun, with air hitting our faces as we speed into Bilbao will be a sensational feeling.”
Support them through their Just Giving page – Bicester to Bilbao www.facebook.com/ bicestertobilbao/?fref=ts or visit their Facebook page www.justgiving.com/teams/ bicestertobilbao