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Home to Cycling Challenge/ La Grande Sfida

There's over twenty three of us with one mission: Cycle over 1,000 miles from Home to Rome to raise as much money as possible to help our injured servicemen and women compete in international ski competitions with the aim of making it to the 2014 Winter Paralympics.

We set off on Saturday 15 May 2010 from Luton and will take two weeks to reach our final destination: Rome.

It's all in aid of the Combined Services Disabled Ski Team (CSDST) which rehabilitates injured servicemen and women supporting their dreams of getting to the paralympics, but above all, its about looking after our heroes who have been injured protecting freedom and democracy for those less fortunate than ourselves.

Royal Marine Pete Dunning and Captain Martin Hewitt will be taking part and cycling sections of the journey to prove that a disability needn't restrict your life. Pete lost both of his legs in a mine blast in Afghanistan and will be taking part in a specially adapted hand bicycle and Martin was injured after he was shot through the shoulder joint damaging nerves and dramatically impairing mobility in the limb.  (Update - Sergeant Mick Brennan from the Royal Signals will also be taking  joining the team on the trip. Mick was wounded in Iraq and lost both legs above the knee in a suicide bomb blast. Mick competes as part of the CSDST as a mono skier).   

So who are the rest of us? We're a motley crew from all over the UK and Italy united with a common aim. Many of us work for companies within the Finmeccanica Group who are helping organise events to raise money but we are also from the Ski Club of Great Britain and the CSDST. 

In a nutshell we are:

Team Cyclists: Steve Rose, Jack Taylor,Terry Bonnett, Andy Jenkinson, Gary Halliday, Brad Crawshaw, Steve Christie, Tom Dearden, Alan Shillitoe, Roger Hones, Pier Antonio Catella, Domenico Cairola, Pete Dunning, Martin Hewitt, Mick Brennan, Helen Buchannan, Bronwyn Brook, Mick Brennan.  

Support drivers: Jacquie Lawrence-Swan, Andy Tyrell, Gruff Moriss, Jacqui Stones,  Col. David Eadie and Maj. Ian Large

A bit more info about the ski team and who it supports .....

The current CSDST team members are; Captain Martin Hewitt (Parachute Regiment) who was shot through the shoulder joint in Afghanistan and Corporal Pam Grainger (Royal Air Force) who lost the use of her right arm in a motorcycle accident – both of whom compete as a one-armed skiers; Sergeant Mick Brennan (Royal Signals) who lost both legs above the knee in a suicide-bomb blast in Iraq, Lance Corporal Pete Dunning (Royal Marines) who lost both legs in a mine blast in Afghanistan and Sergeant Stu Pearson (Parachute Regiment) who lost his left leg and right heel in multiple mine blasts in Afghanistan – all of whom compete as a mono-skiers; Trooper Stevie Shine (Royal Tank Regiment) who lost his left leg in an Improvised Explosive Device incident in Iraq, Lance Corporal Si Wiggins (Coldstream Guards) who lost his right leg in a mine explosion in Afghanistan – both of whom compete as 3-track skiers and Captain Bernie Bambury (Rifles) who lost his right foot in an accident on the Cresta run and competes as a 2-tracker. 

All of the members of the team have suffered horrific injuries, especially those wounded in action on operations.   They have all been through rehabilitation at , and now lead a largely independent life within the Forces.  Their progress to recovery, which can never be absolute, has been an enormously painful journey. The rehabilitation process at is incredibly taxing and those who have lost their lower limbs have had to learn to walk again using computer-controlled prosthetic legs. Thereafter they have had to learn to ski, a process in which falling over is infinitely more painful than it can ever be for an able-bodied skier.

 

Now that you know a bit more about us and what we're trying to achieve please donate some money to help ensure that the CSDST can continue to support our injured servicemen and women.  

La Grande Sfida

Il prossimo 15 maggio i membri della squadra Combined Services Disabled Ski assieme ad alcuni rappresentanti delle aziende Finmeccanica, inclusa SELEX Galileo, daranno il via ad una gara ciclistica di beneficenza Luton-Roma.


Dalla partenza in Inghilterra all’arrivo in Italia, la squadra correrà per un tragitto di oltre 1.600 chilometri e avrà bisogno di tutto il vostro supporto.


Le donazioni contribuiranno ad aiutare gli atleti disabili a continuare nel loro impegno sportivo nelle competizioni
sciistiche internazionali e nelle Paraolimpiadi Invernali del 2014.

 

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My gallery 8

My Teams

My company

My charity

The British Forces Foundation

The British Forces Foundation

Charity Registration No. 1075109

The British Forces Foundation boosts the morale of servicemen and women of our Armed Forces on the frontline and in operational theatres all over the world, primarily through high quality entertainment.

Donations 324

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Good luck Michael for the ride from Rome and for the next Para-Olympics. Proud to be able to support the cause. Eve

Donation by Evelyn Allen on 12/05/10

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

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May the force be with you! E coraggio! And have fun.....

Donation by Sarah Harington Hawes on 12/05/10

£30.00

+ £8.46 Gift Aid

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Good luck

Donation by Grant Ramsay on 12/05/10

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

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What fantastic achievements - keep safe, and most of all ENJOY!!!

Donation by Jayne Sims on 12/05/10

£15.00

+ £4.23 Gift Aid

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To Tom and the team - very best of luck!

Donation by Linda Thomson on 12/05/10

£15.00

+ £4.23 Gift Aid

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good luck n dont forget to ride round by our house so u can have a coffee n bacon butty.we wish u all well.

Donation by howard mills on 12/05/10

£20.00

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Best of luck to everyone

Donation by wendy knight on 12/05/10

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Good Luck

Donation by jane longbottom on 12/05/10

£25.00

+ £7.05 Gift Aid

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Good Luck to a brave person. Sorry it was not much as you had given so much. God bless you mry

Donation by Mary Smart on 12/05/10

£10.00

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Good luck :o)

Donation by Michelle Wilson on 11/05/10

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Michael, this is for you and the CBDT - if you can ride that mono ski, you can cycle back from Rome! Love alway, Aunty Jeannie xxx

Donation by Jean Yates on 11/05/10

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Good luck to you all- enjoy Rome- pizza, pasta and vino- you will deserve it

Donation by Amanda Thomas on 11/05/10

£15.00

+ £4.23 Gift Aid

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Good luck to all especially the combined services disabled ski team xxx

Donation by michelle gawthorpe on 11/05/10

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

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Wish I could give you all the money. best wishes for the event and a succesfull ski season next year xx

Donation by kerry hopkinson on 11/05/10

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

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Good on you guys. Enjoy - partake in a few local beers too!

Donation by Andrea Pringle on 11/05/10

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

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Donations collected for Roger from Pat, Joan, Simon, Anita and Boots the Opticians in Chester. good Luck

Donation by Cathy Hones on 11/05/10

£64.75

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Go for it guys. It's a great challenge for a great cause.

Donation by Jacqui Frost on 11/05/10

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

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Good luck, very impressive endeavour. Hope you all have fun too.

Donation by Anna Jones on 11/05/10

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Good luck Tom with the cycling and good luck to Gruff with the driving, you'll both need it :)

Donation by Alexander Cumming on 11/05/10

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

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Good luck

Donation by Roman Miedzybrodzki on 11/05/10

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

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Jack, Andy and all the team, enjoy the fine wine and continental cuisine, are all the hotels 5 stars? Seriously though, good luck.

Donation by Julian Evans on 11/05/10

£50.00

+ £14.10 Gift Aid

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Donation by Peter Harvey on 11/05/10

£10.00

+ £2.82 Gift Aid

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Good Luck Tom!

Donation by Robyn Broome on 11/05/10

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

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Fantastic effort Jack - I'm so impressed!

Donation by Millie Littler on 11/05/10

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

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Hi all, Well done to everyone, including the support team. I hope you have a fantastic time and enjoy the whole experience.

Donation by Heather Lawrence on 11/05/10

£20.00

+ £5.64 Gift Aid

Donation summary

  • * Online donations$14,167.13
  • Offline donations$1,829.76
  • Text donations$0.00
  • Total raised$15,996.89
  • Gift Aid$3,203.56

* Charities pay a small fee for our service. Find out how much it is and what we do for it.