Published on: Thursday 29 Mar 2018 at 08:53
Bishop’s Stortford Baker rises to the challenge
An employee from Allinson’s flour mill in Bishop’s Stortford is taking part in a ‘marathon’ cycle challenge in honour of his mother and to raise funds for the hospice charity who cared for her.
David Hannay (53 years from Harlow) is set to undertake a week-long cycle challenge to raise vital funds for St Clare. David’s mother Carol Hannay was cared for at the Hospice in December 2017. Carol passed away aged 74 years on 22nd December 2017 at St Clare Hospice in Hastingwood.
From Monday 16th to Sunday 22nd April David will be completing a marathon-distance cycle of 26.2 miles each day – finishing on the same day as the London Marathon. The ‘7 in 7’ marathon cycle challenge will take place at Pure Gym in Harlow. David hopes to raise more than £1,000 for St Clare from the fundraising challenge.
Commenting on the ‘7 in 7’ cycle challenge, David said:
“I have been going to the gym for about a year and a half now and have really been enjoying the buzz that I get from exercising. I often ride the spinning bike and that is how I came up with the idea of cycling a marathon for 7 days in a row. After my Mum received such great care from St Clare in December last year, I really wanted to come up with a way to repay the help we were given through such a tough time. I have received so much support from the guys at Pure Gym – with some of them even volunteering their time to help train me because they think St Clare is such a great cause.”
Cycling without sleep!
David, who has worked at Allinson flour mill in Bishop’s Stortford for more than 12 years, works nightshifts on 5 nights of the week. His marathon challenge will therefore be even harder, as he explains:
“I will be doing the week-long challenge whilst still working a whole week of night shifts at the bakery! I work from 10pm to 6am, I will then come home and walk my dog, and then go to the gym to cycle the marathon distance. I know I can do the distance, because I have done it lots of time in training, but it will be the act of having to cycle day after day for seven days that is the challenge! I didn’t used to do much exercise so this is also a big personal challenge for me. I am not the type of person you would normally imagine doing something like this!”
Allinson is fully supporting David’s fundraising challenge, as the Bishop’s Stortford-based business has also chosen St Clare Hospice as their ‘charity of the year’ for 2018.
Sponsor David
David has so far raised more than £100 for the hospice charity. You can sponsor David on his fundraising page here.
Become a Challenger!
For more information on participating in a fundraising challenge in aid of St Clare Hospice, please click here or contact Challenges and Events Fundraiser, Emma Broadbent on 01279 773700 or email emma.broadbent@stclarehospice.org.uk