In a tribute to the memory of his wife Yvonne and to raise money for Hospice Care charity Phyllis Tuckwell, which looked after her in her last weeks, 72 year old Michael Vint decided to undertake a bike ride which would leave him both exhausted and elated.
54 miles long, the annual London to Brighton bike ride takes cyclists from Clapham Common, through South London and out into the villages and country roads of Surrey and Sussex. Although picturesque, the North and South Downs present riders with hill after endless hill, draining their energy before allowing them a final ten-mile downhill ride into Brighton town.
Mike, whose wife Yvonne died of a brain tumour in June 2014, had not cycled much since his youth, and found that even three months of training didn’t prepare him for the number of hills which Surrey and Sussex have! Mike’s long-term friend Alan Forder had suggested taking part in the bike ride with him, in Yvonne’s memory, so that they could support and motivate each other along the way. Alan’s daughter Sharon and son David also took part and the group grew to four who, between them, raised £1,030. This money will go towards providing supportive and end of life care to patients and families like Yvonne and Mike, who are facing cancer, or another serious progressive illness.
The bike ride took place on 21st June 2015, almost a year to the day that Yvonne died, and was a very poignant time for Mike. “The last ten miles were the best,” he remembers. “We rode downhill into Brighton, all four of us cycling along the beachfront next to each other, high-fiving friends and family who had come to cheer us on. And then seeing my daughter and grandchildren waiting for us at the finishing line - it just felt amazing. It was all worth it.”
As the NHS/Government funding which Phyllis Tuckwell receives only covers 20% of its costs, it has to raise over £15,000 a day to be able to offer all of its services, free of charge, to patients and their families. If you would like to take part in a fundraising event to support this vital local charity, please contact fundraising@pth.org.uk or call 01252 729446.
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Notes for Editors:
For press enquiries and alternative pictures contact: Jen Barnes at Phyllis Tuckwell on 01252 729433 or email jen.barnes@pth.org.uk
