Mum overcoming health challenges with epic ride
A Devon mum with a debilitating blood clotting disorder is to cycle the length of Britain for Thrombosis UK and to help prevent early deaths in sport
ADEVON businesswoman and mother of two with a lifethreatening, blood-clotting disorder is planning to cycle nearly 1,000 miles across Britain to raise money for thrombosis research and education and to fund defibrillators for sports clubs that can’t afford to buy them.
During National Thrombosis Week, which ran from May 3-9, Amanda Barnes announced she will be setting off on a gruelling 980-mile bike ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats on September 4 as part of The Deloitte Ride Across Britain. She’s now training hard for the epic event, during which she will cycle more than 100 miles a day over nine days. The elevation involved in this endurance event is equivalent to climbing Mount Everest twice or running nine consecutive marathons.
Amanda, managing director of Devon Cleaning South Hams and Plymclean, has a family history of blood clots. Both her parents died from Pulmonary Embolism (PE) and she has lived with the life-changing condition for fourteen years, although she’s determined to lead a full and active life for as long as she can.
Amanda was expecting her son in 2007 when she was diagnosed with the hereditary gene mutation Factor V Leiden, which greatly increases the risk of developing blood clots. She was hospitalised for the first time at Derriford to treat Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) and subsequently developed PE. After a few years of respite, she developed another blood clot in 2018. She’s had four further clots within the last eight months and now has Post-thrombotic syndrome (PTS), a chronic and potentially disabling condition caused by damage to the veins.
Amanda said: “My PTS has unfortunately led to other serious health complications, but what I’m trying to say is ‘Don’t let these things drag you down’. I’ve taken it upon myself to keep moving. I’m cycling up to 250 miles a week – when there’s a challenge ahead of me, I don’t do it halfheartedly! I’ve had some counselling and been told that I experience high and lows because I’m grieving for what my body’s been capable of in the past, and what I’m trying to do is push past that barrier. I’ve had to adapt – I used to be a runner and now I’m a cyclist.”
She added: “I see a private pain management specialist and I feel there’s a gap in provision for thrombosis sufferers. Had my father’s thrombosis been diagnosed and treated when he was first admitted to hospital, he would still be here today. I could have dropped dead from any of the blood clots I’ve had in recent years. It’s made me reassess my life and step back from my business because I don’t want to stress out my body in a negative way. When I go out cycling it helps my mental state of mind as well as my fitness. I just have to be extra careful not to injure myself because of my heightened risk of blood clots.”
Amanda aims to raise at least £5,000 to support the work of Thrombosis UK and The Richmond Heavies Foundation, a fledgling charity which provides defibrillators to sports clubs that can’t afford the lifesaving devices. The money she raises will be equally split between the two charities.
The Heavies was co-founded by one of Amanda’s clients, Devon businessman Richard Holman. Funds raised by Amanda and other cyclists supporting the Foundation in September will be used to provide defibrillators to local sports clubs near each of the nine overnight stops on the cycle ride.
To support Amanda’s fundraising, donations can be made through these pages:
For Thrombosis UK: https:// gofund.me/4e285e22
For Richmond Heavies Foundation: https://www.atlasfrc.org/fundraisers/amanda-barnes-ride-acrossbritain-fundraising-page