Katherine Tansey and Jo Sneesby in the saddle Isla’s mum and friend are going for gold
A CYCLING duo are going gold to raise funds for the Islastones Foundation.
Isla’s mum, Katherine, is joining Jo Sneesby for a 10-mile cycle around the edge of Hinckley, wearing tight gold suits.
Isla Tansey, from Hinckley, died in July 2018 at the age of seven, of DIPG (Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma), a spinal tumour.
Little Isla created the #islastones campaign, a project to paint and hide stones with the hashtag, to help raise awareness of her illness.
She made many of the painted pebbles herself, and soon had people around the world joining in.
Jo said in a message on the Just Giving page for the cycling event: “We have already tried our amazing gold suits and we can assure you that they aren’t the most comfortable, but we remember the reason we’re doing this and that is to raise money and smiles in Isla’s memory. “Please give if you can.”
She also said: “We will let people know the route so you are welcome to cheer us on as we cycle, our finishing point will be at Isla’s stone in the mead.”
A 6.2-tonne granite stone with a plaque in Isla’s honour was installed near the bandstand in Argents Mead.
Following Isla’s death, friends and supporters left hundreds of tributes and painted stones in the bandstand, where a memorial event was organised shortly afterwards.
An exhibition of the stones was then set up at the Atkins gallery to showcase the stones.
The campaign’s Facebook group reached tens of thousands of followers and is still regularly updated.
Stones have been painted in places as far away as Mexico, Antarctica and Thailand, as well as across the borough.
The bike ride is to take place on Saturday, September 26, with the time still to be confirmed.
You can donate to the good cause on the event’s Just Giving page.
Visit the Islastones Foundation Facebook page for the latest updates, or search for #islastones online.