Tom’s Bike Ride for His Chosen Charity, CLIC Sargent

As you may already know, our Operations Director, Tom Marriott, regularly embarks on various sporting challenges in the name of charity.

Well, he hasn’t been resting on his laurels recently and he has successfully completed exactly what he set out to do. Tom has cycled the 175 miles of the beautiful Pennine Way through the Peak District National Park and the Yorkshire Dales often described as the backbone of England.

What an achievement and with CLIC Sargent as his chosen charity, it really was a worthy cause. It wasn’t all plain sailing but Tom and his cycling companions James, Ed, Mike and Twiki made it from start to finish with Darren and Jimmy supporting them from Cromford to Kirkby Stephen.

With the ride being completely off road; loose stones, rocks, steep inclines and bad weather to endure there were some interesting stories shared afterwards!

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This is what Tom had to say…

On day one, we started at Middleton top and finished at Glossop. In total, this was 47 miles with 4200 ft of steep inclines and stiffening legs later in the ride. It all started really well as we had 17 miles of flat along an old disused railway line with beautiful scenery. The weather started badly and wasn’t looking promising right up until lunchtime when it suddenly improved for the afternoon.

Unfortunately, my legs were not so obliging in the afternoon! As the weather improved and with the effects of stopping for lunch my legs stiffened making the last stretch for the day far more arduous. There were quite a few difficult off-road climbs, which at points seemed almost unrideable with a lot of loose stones and large rocks.

Day two involved 43 miles of riding with 5400ft of climbing! The weather had, unfortunately worsened at this stage and there was a lot of rain in the morning which brought its own challenges! Luckily, we were well prepared and had anticipated this sort of weather. We were going through the Peak District and Yorkshire Dales after all. We’d have been mad not to expect rain!

Day three was our most challenging day and, again, the weather wasn’t on our side and the terrain was particularly difficult. The first 18 miles took us over four hours to complete, by which point we were all hungry and soaked through. This had to be our lowest point, knowing how much further we had to pedal. Each day we met up with our support crew, Darren and Jimmy, who did a great job of looking after us, feeding us and providing a very welcome warm cup of Yorkshire tea!

Day four finally arrived! Although we still had a long ride ahead of us, we were pleased to know it was our final day and the end was in sight. The day started with a tough climb which set the theme for the day. Again, the rain and wind didn’t let up. According to Twiki, the last five miles into Stephen Kirkby were downhill. I’m not so sure about that.

Either way, we made it and we were elated!

Tom Marriott, Operations Director - Heath & Wiltshire Ltd

All for a Very Worthy Cause

This was a personal challenge and a well-deserved opportunity to escape the every day and enjoy the experience of being out in all weathers enjoying the beautiful, rugged countryside we are so lucky to be surrounded by. At moments it felt like a true privilege while other moments I questioned my sanity!

There was, however, as we all know another far more important reason for doing the ride in the first place. Some of you may know that CLIC Sargent, the UK’s leading cancer charity for children, young people and their families is a charity that has a very personal importance to myself and my family.

Some time ago, my cousin Bobby Cruise was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma and lost his battle at the young age of 14, an experience no child or family should ever have to endure.

CLIC Sargent provide specialist support for children and families in the UK who find themselves in very similar situations to Bobby. The care teams work tirelessly to limit the effects cancer has on families and all aspects of their everyday lives.

This ride was my opportunity to help CLIC Sargent continue to provide the support young cancer patients and their families need at a time they need it most. My next venture will be none other than the London Marathon! Watch out for updates on progress!

Thank you to everyone who has offered support and already made donations. All donations are welcome and greatly appreciated. It really does make a big difference.