Forces pair on cash mission
Marathon fundraising cycle ride
A disabled veteran is joining forces with a comrade to raise money for the charities supporting their recovery.
Laura Ellis (33) from Blackburn will join Patrick Medhurst-Feeney (27) of Plymouth in cycling over 500 miles from Edinburgh to Exeter this summer.
The pair are aiming to raise over £ 6000 for Help for Heroes and Veterans with Dogs, who have both been helping them recover from lifechanging physical and mental health problems.
They aim to complete the impressive 518 mile challenge on recumbent bikes in just nine days, starting from Edinburgh Castle on May 13 and finishing in Exeter on May 22.
The first day of their marathon challenge will take them to Moffat in Dumfries and Galloway before crossing the border to penrith on day two.
The pair, who share a love of dogs, met during their recovery and kept in contact before Laura came up with the idea of the epic cycle ride.
Laura, formerly of the Royal Artillery and Royal Horse Artillery, was unable to continue her career in the army after being diagnosed with nocturnal epilepsy, a condition that causes seizures.
In 2015 her medical issues worsened when she was rushed to hospital with no feeling in the lower half of her body. She underwent spinal surgery at the Western General Hospital a year ago and still has lower back problems.
She also has mental health issues, including PTSD, following her service.
Laura said: “I got a grant from Help for Heroes for a recumbent bike last December. It’s the only way I can cycle as I can’t sit up on a normal bike. “I also got my assistance dog Scout through Veterans for Dogs. He’s amazing – he can predict my seizures 20 minutes beforehand.
“I wanted to give something back to both charities. They’ve made such a difference to my recovery journey. It has just snowballed ever since.”
As soon as her three daughters and two stepsons are dropped off at school and nursery, Laura is out on her bike training around West Lothian.
Her cycle partner Patrick is also no stranger to life-changing medical issues. Following an accident during his second tour of Afghanistan in 2013 he was flown back to the UK for intensive treatment and has since faced both mental and physical health problems.
Patrick, a former veterinary technician at the Royal Army Veterinary Corp, said: “Neither of us work at the moment and we needed something to aim for.
“We have both been supported by Help for Heroes, I also played cricket for the charity and we wanted to give something back.”
Alistair Lockhart from Help for Heroes said: “As Laura and Patrick know only too well, for those suffering an injury or illness due to service their recovery can last a lifetime.
“We continue to rely almost entirely on public support and to enable us to be here for the long term.
“We are so grateful to Laura and Patrick for taking on this amazing challenge and to everyone who is supporting them. Every penny raised really does make a difference.”
The pair, who have already raised over £ 1000 of their target, are still looking for companies to sponsor them. Anyone interested can contact them at triketour17@outlook.com.
Donations can be made at https:// mydonate. bt. com/ fundraisers/ thetriketour17.
They’ve made such a difference to my recovery