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23
Jan 2021
Harrogate cyclist plans 24-hour challenge in aunt's memory
A Harrogate man is preparing to take on a 300-mile cycling challenge in memory of his aunt, a well-known national radio broadcaster.
Simon Gregory will cycle from Harrogate's Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre to the Southampton hospital where his aunt, the Rev Ruth Scott, was treated for lymphoma.
He plans to complete the 288-mile route in just 24 hours in June, which will mean cycling through the night on his own. Despite the scale of his challenge, Simon is a relatively new cyclist. He said:
Simon continued to ride and, having raised £2,000, began to wonder what he could do to raise even more for cancer charities.
One of several family members to go through cancer treatment, his aunt was diagnosed with a rare form of lymphoma which did not respond to normal treatments - though some long-shot options taken by her doctors did give better results. Throughout her treatment, Ruth and her family were supported by Macmillan.
Pause for Thought
Until shortly before her death in early 2019, Ruth was known as one of the voices of Pause for Thought on the BBC Radio 2 breakfast show, first with Sir Terry Wogan and then with Chris Evans. However, Simon said her appearances were just one of the remarkable things in her life.
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Ruth herself once cycled from Rome to Jerusalem, giving Simon even more inspiration for his challenge. He began training last year and has stepped up his mileage in recent weeks.
At the same time, he is juggling home-schooling for his two primary age children, and running specialist recruitment business GPS Return with his wife, Miranda.
The current lockdown restrictions mean Simon is staying closer to home: his next 100-mile training ride will be completed in laps starting from his Harrogate home.
Although he told his wider family last year about the challenge he was taking on, Simon has only just revealed it to friends. Now, he's hoping to get as close to his £10,000 fundraising target as possible before he starts the challenge in mid-June.
To donate to Simon's challenge, click here, or follow his progress on Instagram at @ruthscott24hr.
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