September 2019
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17
News
Teenagers complete ‘end to end’ charity ride
T
hree Year 13 students from Bradley Stoke have completed the “challenge of a lifetime” by completing a 1,000-mile charity cycle ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats (known to enthusiasts as LEJOG) in just 16 days. Scott Warburton (aged 18), Ryan Edwards (18) and Alessandro Bufalino (17) made the epic journey in July, a few weeks after finishing their final Post-16 exams at Bradley Stoke Community School. And as if the end-to-end challenge wasn’t enough in itself, the trio chose to eschew the use of high-spec road bikes and complete the ride on folding bikes, thereby making their achievement “as unique as possible”. Scott and Ryan had some prior experience of long distance bike rides, through cycling the 300 miles from Land’s End to Bradley Stoke back in 2017, raising £1,153 for Cancer Research UK. They chose to raise money for a cancer charity because immediate members of both their families have been affected by the disease. This time, joined by Alessandro, they decided to fundraise for both St Peter’s Hospice and Cancer Research UK. To date, they have raised an incredible £2,537.50 (including gift aid), meaning that £1,268.75 is going to each charity. Planning for the adventure started on the day they finished their last A-level exam. They
End to end in 16 days. L-r in each photo: Ryan Edwards, Scott Warburton and Alessandro Bufalino
took time to choose a route that avoided lots of the busy roads and booked a varied range of overnight accommodation ranging from rooms above pubs to glamping! The cyclists were supported throughout the challenge by three friends (Nils Rehm, Laurence Earley and Michael Curtis) who travelled the route in cars, transporting baggage and arranging meal stops. Scott said: “The trip was one of my greatest achievements in life. We love exploring and challenging ourselves and this ride certainly did that! We had such a great time and made lots of memories along the way, which we will remember forever. I’m proud of our team for our
determination in never giving up, despite the many challenges that were thrown at us.” Ryan said: “I would describe the trip as the most physically demanding challenge I’ve ever undertaken. At first, we were all concerned that we were being slightly over ambitious. The cheap folding bikes were hardly designed for longer distances, let alone over 1,000 miles. We’re really glad that we managed to
complete the ride so smoothly, and with only three punctures. It was a really enriching experience to be able to see the entire length of the country, from south to north, witnessing spectacular views and iconic landmarks (such as the Angel of the North).” The team’s fundraising page, which is still live should anyone like to donate, is at uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ ScottWarburton
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