London to Brighton Cycle Ride
The 2024 London to Brighton Cycle Ride is taking place on 15 September. Read about the experiences of three people who have saddled up and taken on the 55-mile challenge for us previously.
Gary
Gary, a veteran whose life dramatically changed after suffering a serious brain injury, conquered the London to Brighton Cycle in 2022 at the age of 51.
He served for 25 years in the Royal Navy. Upon leaving the Navy, Gary was excited for the future that he had mapped out for himself. However, five months later he suffered a fractured skull and a serious brain injury. He said:
“I left the Navy thinking I’d done all my hard work and it was now time to put my feet up but that wasn’t to be. I ended up having to relearn how to tie my shoelaces and unable to walk through doors on my own.”
"The sense of achievement I felt made it so worthwhile"
Gary’s story shows how quickly life can change. His journey to recovery was a long one. We spoke to Gary just after he had completed the London to Brighton Cycle. He said:
“I couldn’t run for four and a half years but here I am taking part in physical challenges to not only raise money for charity but to also push myself and achieve something.
“Having been through this, I can understand the rehabilitation needs for those veterans who have lost their sight and the need for ongoing support from an amazing charity like Blind Veterans UK.
“I wasn’t as prepared as I should have been and turned up on the day of the event having done minimal training and my mountain bike looked a bit out of place on the start line.
“It took me around eight hours to complete the ride, but I wasn’t in a race I just wanted to get from A to B to raise money for Blind Veterans UK.
"I like to keep busy; I thought to myself, why sit around twiddling my thumbs when I could be out there cycling to raise money to help others. The sense of achievement I felt and the money I raised made it so worthwhile.”
Andy
Blind veteran Andy, rode in the 2022 London to Brighton Cycle on a tandem bike with his son completing it in four hours and 51 minutes.
Andy is currently preparing to return this year with his friend Wayne. He says:
“I take on these sporting challenges to raise money and awareness for Blind Veterans UK who gave me back my confidence after losing my sight.
“Anyone who knows me knows that I always start and I always finish the challenges that I set myself. It doesn’t matter if you’re super fit or a plodder like me. It’s about raising awareness, raising funds and having fun along the way.”
"I love to get stuck into these personal challenges"
Andy joined the Army in 1992 and spent 19 years with the Royal Logistics Corps. It was at the age of 37 that retinitis pigmentosa caused a gradual decline in his sight which meant he was forced to retire early from the military. Andy says:
“Blind Veterans UK has invested a lot of time over the years to help me rebuild my life when I’d lost all hope. They made me realise what was possible and gave me the confidence to start doing physical activities again and get back to work.
“I love to get stuck into these personal challenges to give back to the charity that has supported me so much.”
Andy, who will turn 50 next year, is taking on the London to Brighton Cycle again this September with his friend Wayne.
Wayne says:
“This will be my first London to Brighton Cycle and my first time on a tandem bike!
“It will be a new challenge, something completely different but whatever Andy wants to try, I will be by his side. His can-do attitude has certainly rubbed off on me.”
Would Andy recommend the event?
“I urge anyone who is a keen cyclist or only new to the hobby to give this event a try.
The organisers provide plenty of pre-event support including access to their website with full details of the route and training advice.
There’s a Facebook group you can join and find other people riding in your waive so you can buddy up if you’re riding alone.
There’s mechanical support and the route is fully sign-posted meaning all you have to do is concentrate on enjoying the ride.
For me it’s the best part is the atmosphere. You’re surrounded by people who are there to have a great day out while helping causes close to their heart.
Approaching the finishing line, where spectators cheer you along the prom, that sense of achievement kicks in and gives you the boost you need on the home stretch.
If I had one bit of advice for others taking part its to take a bit of time to enjoy the surroundings... and invest in gel pants!"
Richard
Richard took part in last year’s London to Brighton Cycle, at the age of 70, in memory of his late wife Maria.
Maria joined the Army at 18-years-old and had a short career with the Woman’s Royal Army Corps, followed by 11 years with the Territorial Army.
In 2003, while working as a nurse in a job she loved, Maria began to lose her sight. Within six months she had suffered almost complete sight loss due to the genetic eye condition Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy.
Cycling to keep Maria's memory alive
Maria started receiving support from us in 2004 and after the charity turned her life around, she was determined to give back by fundraising and raising awareness. Richard says:
“I didn’t know Maria when she first lost her sight, but she told me she was in a very dark place until Blind Veterans UK gave her the confidence to pick herself up and she decided sight loss would not stop her from making the most of her life.”
Maria carried out a lot of fundraising for our charity and raised more than £5,500 for us. She also inspired many others to join in with her fundraising.
In September 2021, Maria and Richard took on the London to Brighton Cycle on a tandem bike in what, they didn’t realise, would be her last fundraising challenge.
Just one week later, doctors gave Maria the devastating news that she had a tumour and within a year she had lost her battle with the illness. Richard says:
“I rode solo last year as I want to forever keep the link with Blind Veterans UK and to also keep Maria’s memory alive.”
Have you been inspired?
Gary, Andy and Richard all had their own reasons for taking on the London to Brighton Cycle and for choosing to support our charity. Maybe your bike has been sat collecting dust in the garage and they have inspired you to dig it out, or maybe you are a keen cyclist who wants a new challenge.
Would you like to find out more about riding in the London to Brighton Cycle in support of our blind veterans?
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