Cyclists up for tough challenge
Freezing temperatures, 17 hours of darkness and miles of gruelling terrain will challenge four Benderloch cyclists this weekend.
The team will be taking part in the Strathpuffer 24 endurance event in aid of a charity supporting wounded military personnel.
Leading the team will be Ronald Gordon, who last year raised more than £3,000 for Help Our Wounded Royal Marines and Supporting Arms when his home improvement business Gordon and Strathern organised a golfing day at Ballachulish.
Mr Gordon, who was in the Royal Navy for nine years, is being joined in his latest fundraiser by his 19-year-old son Sean, DJ Barr and Ian Macdonald, who are all fellow members of the North Argyll Cycle Club.
‘We all do a lot of cycling so it’ll just be a case of starting the challenge and keeping it going. We’ll be doing it in relay to notch up the laps over the 24 hours. The worst bit will be coping with the weather we could experience – it could be absolutely brutal,’ said Mr Gordon. He is hoping donations to his JustGiving. com/fundraising/ronald-gordon1-gordonandstrathernltd will take the amount raised so far, including the golfing day, to more than £5,000.
Every penny raised will go directly to the people who need it, making a real difference to lives, said Mr Gordon.
Jean MacPherson, who lives in Oban, is a trustee of the charity. Her husband David’s Royal Marine brother, Gordon, lost his life in the Falklands conflict the day before hostilities ended in 1982.
Since the charity got its registered status in 2013, many events have been held for marines, their families and others who have served in the military but now find themselves in need of assistance.
Mrs MacPherson, who with others has run 10km events and bungee-jumped for the charity, said: ‘It’s absolutely amazing what Ronald and his team-mates are doing for us. We need to keep the money coming in so we can give all the help that is needed. The government doesn’t help these people so someone has to step up and that’s what we do.’
To organise an event or give support, email Mrs MacPherson: Jmacp35@ gmail.com