A cyclist from Harrogate is preparing to embark on a mammoth challenge this month to raise money in memory of his aunt.
Simon Gregory will attempt to cycle 288 miles in just 24 hours to raise £10,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Simon’s aunt, Reverend Ruth Scott, died from cancer in February 2019.
She was a presenter on the BBC Radio 2 show Pause for Thought, along with Terry Wogan and Chris Evans for 25 years, and was one of the first female vicars.
Simon said he was inspired by his aunt’s charitable nature and her similar physical challenges; she once cycled from Rome to Jerusalem with little training.
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Last weekend Simon held a fundraiser in Harrogate and raised nearly £1,000 in one day.
He said of the money raised;
“It would cover specialist care nurses, and support for others whose loved ones have cancer. Macmillan provided my aunt and her husband huge support and we couldn’t have got through it without them.”
Macmillan’s funding has been cut drastically over the course of the pandemic, receiving £10 million less over the past year than in previous years.
His journey is mapped out from Harrogate to Southampton on June 18. Besides his brother Paul, who plans to meet him at regular checkpoints, he will make the journey on his own.
Simon will have to cycle an average of almost 12.5 miles an hour for 24 hours to hit his target.
He has several strategies in place to ensure safety during his journey, including regular 10-minute intervals for drinking and a strict rule of consuming 75 grams of carbohydrates every hour.
Donations to Simon Gregory’s fundraiser can be made by clicking here.
