Fundraiser George’s big surprise at finishing line

WELCOME: Cerebral palsy sufferer Layla was at John o’ Groats for special greeting

A Fife man who completed a nine-day cycle challenge at the weekend was greeted at the finish line by the amazing sight of the little girl for whom he was raising cash.

The Courier told earlier this month how George Wallace, from Kinglassie, planned to travel from Land’s End on his 55th birthday all the way to John o’ Groats to support Kayla Bird, who has cerebral palsy.

It is a cause close to George’s heart, as his son Graeme – who is now 30 – also has the condition. George has seen firsthand how beneficial certain types of treatment and therapy can be.

Despite enduring a narrow miss just minutes into the challenge and numerous other hurdles being thrown in his way, George reached the end of his trek on Saturday with a few surprises in store.

“This was despite getting knocked off my bike by a white van on the first day after only five miles,” he recalled.

“Thankfully no damage was done to the bike or myself. The rest of the trip went well, despite having four punctures in the first four days.

“But I arrived at John o’ Groats on Saturday and had a wonderful surprise when I saw two of my friends, Colin and Laura Mcalpine, had made the journey to see me complete the trip.

“The day got even better when Kayla, the little girl who I was raising funds for, turned up on her trike – two unbelievable gestures.”

George decided to support Kayla’s family after hearing about how much money they were paying for regular trips to Wales for special physiotherapy sessions. Each trip costs the family a minimum of £1,300 by the time travel and course costs are taken into account.

George’s initial target of £3,000 has already been smashed, with the total now in excess of £3,600.

“I would like to thank my wife Audrey and her sister Janice for providing support and making sure I had supplies for each day,” he said. “I would also like to thank everyone who sent messages of support and donated to the fund – it kept me going knowing so many people were behind me. Thank you all.”

Donations can still be made to George’s Justgiving page via justgiving. com/crowdfunding/george-wallacelands-end-to-john-o-groats

When George Wallace heard of the financial burden faced by the family of Kayla Bird in seeking out treatment for her cerebral palsy, he knew he wanted to help.

But a tombola raffle wasn’t going to cut the mustard, so George signed up to a lung-busting effort of cycling the length of the UK. He completed his epic journey in nine days, raising more than £3,600 in the process.

Surprised at the finish point by a smiling Kayla, George must have known all his efforts had been worth it.

Layla greets George at the finishing line at John o’ Groats.