Saddle Sore Cyclists’ 45 Mile Effort To Combat Cystic Fibrosis
20 June 2008
Cyclists at start of University's 2008 charity bike ride with (front left to right) David Day, Charles Shields and James Brown.
Video
- You can watch Charles on part of his journey here.
Weary but triumphant, more than 70 staff from the University of Derby took part in the fourth annual charity bike ride between its Buxton and Derby campuses – with one plucky cyclist riding ‘backwards’.
Sponsorship from the cyclists’ 45 mile trip today (Friday 20 June) is set to raise more than £3,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, for research.
The charity was chosen because University employee David Day’s 19-month-old daughter Alicia has Cystic Fibrosis.
David today cycled from his Derby home to attend the 10am bike ride start at the University’s Devonshire Campus, Buxton, before making the return journey to its Kedleston Road site – in under six hours.
Cystic Fibrosis is the UK’s most common life-threatening, inherited disease. It causes clogging of the internal organs, especially lungs and digestive system, with a thick, sticky mucus which makes it hard to breathe and digest food.
David said: “Alicia was diagnosed when she was just five-weeks-old, with a standard test they do now. It was really awful, a very dark time for us, but we came through it.
“I think it’s great that everybody’s turned out today. It will raise the public profile of the condition and much needed money for research.”
Also taking part in the ride was Charles Shields, from the University’s Innovation 4 Learning unit, who completed it by riding ‘backwards’; sitting on his mountain bike’s handlebars, facing towards his back wheel and pedalling. His bike was adapted with a seat across the handlebars and an angled rider’s mirror replacing the saddle.
Charles was kept on the straight and narrow by colleagues Terry Fox and Scott Wilson, enabling him to complete his 45 mile journey in seven hours.
He said: “The most difficult part was just the sustained physical effort of riding all that way backwards. I did fall off four times.”
James Brown, organiser and University Transport and Travel Manager, originally came up with the event to encourage more staff and students to cycle into work.
He organises the transport, safety stewards, a route along quieter cycle trails, feeding stations and ‘rescue vans’ for the event.
He said: “One of our staff, Tony Walsh (of the University Facilities Team), wasn’t into cycling at all when he did the bike ride last year and raised £700 in sponsorship. He now cycles 18 miles a day, between the University and home, and says he has saved a lot on petrol money.”
The fourth annual charity bike ride is set to raise more than £3,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. Last year’s event raised over £2,000 for the Derby Stroke Unit.
University Vice-Chancellor Professor John Coyne granted a day’s ‘special leave’ for all staff taking part in today’s event, subject to managers’ agreement. It was held this week as part of national Bike Week (June 14-22).
For further media information please contact Press and PR Officer Sean Kirby on 01332 591891 or 07876 476103, or email s.kirby@derby.ac.uk. Press release written with the assistance of Amie Hewka.
