A retired West Lothian man has completed a three-peak cycling challenge across the UK to raise money for an Edinburgh-based charity.
Gordon Young, 61, along with his friend John Bruce and wife Tina, raised a four-figure sum for Scotland's International Healthcare Charity EMMS by cycling 500 miles between the highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales.
Gordon, from Linlithgow, completed the charity's sponsored Malawi Bike Ride which is typically held in the East African country, by climbing Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis, completing the gruelling challenge on September 9.
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Completing the three peaks in just seven days, Gordon and John cycled 462 miles between the mountains and Tina drove alongside them. EMMS International is an Edinburgh-based charity that develops healthcare services and infrastructure in Malawi, Nepal and India, and offers respite breaks to people with life-limiting conditions in Scotland.
Cyclists are encouraged to get onboard with the Malawi Bike Ride by competing virtually and cycling as many miles as they want anywhere in the world. “Back in 2012 I thought it might be a good idea to climb the three peaks and cycle between them. Gordon thought he might be up for it too. Ten years later, I reminded him of my challenge. At age 65 I thought I’d better not leave it much longer,” John said. “It was definitely a challenge, and as day two ended I did begin to wonder if I’d make it. However, I was not for giving up.
“As we came close to the end of the descent of Ben Nevis I was feeling that I had achieved my goal. Then, coming towards me, my daughter and baby granddaughter were walking on the path followed by three mutual friends. A lovely surprise!”
The duo have also cycled from Land's End to John o'Groats in the past, which made taking the 500-mile journey even more exciting. “I decided that it was something more than just doing a sponsored walk,” John says. “I did mean to be fully retired before I did it, but time is marching on, so I just thought we would do it now.”
Laura Brown, Director of Fundraising for EMMS International, said: "What an outstanding effort by all three challengers. What a wonderful way to combine the Malawi Bike Ride with the Three Peaks Challenge and raise funds to help people facing extreme poverty have access to better healthcare. It’s great to see people participating in the Malawi Bike Ride 22 at home and in doing so not contributing to the effects of climate change. There’s still time to get involved and get on your bike – although we don’t expect many to do the Three Peaks Challenge at the same time. Most of our participants opt for the more sedate challenge of 30miles!”
To get involved with EMMS International's Malawi Bike Ride 2022 this month please visit www.emms.org/malawi-bike-ride-2022.
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