thanks for life
Jack Talbot, winner of our Charitable Initiative award, wanted to pay back the organisation that saved him
Jack Talbot is a paramedic and used to dealing with life and death situations regularly. But it was his own experience after being hit by a drunk driver at 50mph trying to escape the police that really made him appreciate the life-saving work of the Great North Air Ambulance.
In fact, it is fair to say that his own brush with death inspired him. So, after a period of recuperation, Talbot got back on his bike to try to repay a little of the priceless work the Great North Air Ambulance did for him.
For starters, he organised a coast-tocoast ride for all the cycling clubs near his home in the north of England and, together with 25 fellow riders, he raised over £7,000.
“It’s a pretty classic thing to say, but I really didn’t think I would win,” Talbot said after receiving his award for the Best Charitable Initiative, sponsored by Sports Tours International. “I was just happy to be there, to be in the same room as all those amazing people that I have looked up to my whole life. I couldn’t believe it. To then to go on and actually win the award was crazy.”
Talbot attended the awards with his fiancée Joanna, who is also a keen cyclist and helps him with the events he organises. “We both had a really fun night,” Talbot said of the awards. “We were sat on a table with some of the guys from Canyon and Brian Cookson, which was very interesting. We had some great discussions about the Team Sky revelations and what the future might hold there.”
“I didn’t have any plans to meet anyone but I did enjoy chatting with the guys from the Cycling Weekly Youtube channel and my plans for next year. I’d love to get some of them along for the Fred Whitton Challenge.”
Talbot aims to follow up the success of his coast-to-coast ride. “I want to do another one on the anniversary of my accident. That’s going to be an annual tradition and I would really like to make more money than last year. One new event we have been working on is a hillclimb on the Struggle.
“We have approval from Cycling Time Trials for the event and will run it with Lakes Road Club.”
What impressed the judges most about Talbot’s achievements was how personal the cause was to him, and took into account how important the air ambulance is for cyclists up and down the country. Involving local clubs is another great idea for reinforcing that link.
Jack’s fundraising tips
“If I had just one piece of advice it would be: if you don’t ask, you won’t get. When I first started out organising the coast-tocoast ride I was way too polite. Don’t be afraid to ask for whatever you need for your charity; you will be surprised what you can get when you are honest with brands and companies about things you need help with. If you are working for a charity you can often get things for free, or at least at a cheaper rate. I emailed loads of brands for help with nutritional supplements. The Nutrition company Torq fitness offered to help and gave us loads of bars, gels and drinks to keep all our riders fuelled up on the coast-to-coast. “It’s also important to remember that your main focus at all times needs to be the charity you are raising money for. The event that you are organising doesn’t have to be the most epic thing in the world; what matters is how much you raise. Do what you can and don’t push yourself too hard and forget about why you started raising money in the first place. “Finally, I would say social media is your friend. I’m not saying you need to go crazy and start a whole Youtube channel but Twitter and Facebook are really easy ways to get your ideas out there and to help with support and organisation.”