Story
<p><span style="color: #17365d; font-size: 12pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; color: #04048a; font-size: 9pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191; mso-bidi-font-family: BookmanOldStyle;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; color: #17365d; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191; mso-bidi-font-family: BookmanOldStyle;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;"><span style="color: #04048a;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191; mso-bidi-font-family: BookmanOldStyle;">Dear Family and Friends,</span></strong></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: #04048a;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191; mso-bidi-font-family: BookmanOldStyle;">Every now and then we get a chance to help a cause important and special. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cancer has effected us all in varying degrees, this year will be the 10<sup>th</sup> anniversary of my mum, Carol Hastings passing at the age of 55 years.</span></strong><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;"> </span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: #04048a;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 3pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191; mso-bidi-font-family: BookmanOldStyle;"> </span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: #04048a;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191; mso-bidi-font-family: BookmanOldStyle;">In memory of this, it is with great excitement (and trepidation) that I tell you my training wheels are now off and I have just started training for the End to Eng cycling Challenge <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(That’s from Lands End to John O’Groats in the UK) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>as a member of Team Emerson. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Challenge will start out on the 22<sup>nd</sup> May from the end of Cornwall and I hope to arrive; 12 days, ~1600km and total of ~54,000ft climbed on Thursday 2<sup>nd</sup> June to the top of mainland Scotland. (see map in pictures)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am sharing this experience with you and it is with a humble heart that I ask for your contribution to a special cause..</span></strong><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></strong></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191; mso-bidi-font-family: BookmanOldStyle;">I have never been great at remembering dates & anniversaries etc (just ask my wife Tracey! </span></strong><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> </strong><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Comic Sans MS'; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191; mso-bidi-font-family: BookmanOldStyle; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></strong><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191; mso-bidi-font-family: BookmanOldStyle;"> ) but I still clearly remember where I was standing the day dad called to let me know mum was in hospital and only had a few days left. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was only a few years after she had abseiled 110ft down the side of our local hospital in Cambridge for Cancer charities in memory of her own mother.</span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191; mso-bidi-font-family: BookmanOldStyle;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191; mso-bidi-font-family: BookmanOldStyle;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></strong></span></strong></span></strong></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: #04048a;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191; mso-bidi-font-family: BookmanOldStyle;">Recently I have been inspired by the story of <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mike Grisenthwaite and how he has set up <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cyclists Fighting Cancer. It is a charity whose purpose is to provide bikes, adapted tricycles and equipment to children and young people whose lives have been affected by cancer. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In their words “..Our bikes provide a fun and practical way to regain lost strength, fitness and confidence...”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you get a chance to please read his biography, It might inspire you too. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></strong><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS";"> </span><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></span></strong><span><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191; mso-bidi-font-family: BookmanOldStyle;"><a href="http://cyclistsfc.org.uk/?page_id=411"><span style="text-decoration: none; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191; mso-bidi-font-family: BookmanOldStyle; text-underline: none;">http://cyclistsfc.org.uk/?page_id=411</span></a></span></strong><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></strong></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: #04048a;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191; mso-bidi-font-family: BookmanOldStyle;">I pla nto pay all of my own costs for this experience.. In these tougher times, if you can give even 1% of this cost to this worthy worthy charity we will have all taken our chance to help a cause important and special. </span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: #04048a;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; font-size: 3pt; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191; mso-bidi-font-family: BookmanOldStyle;"> </span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: #04048a;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191; mso-bidi-font-family: BookmanOldStyle;">Thank you so much for your thoughts and contributions</span></strong></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="color: #04048a;"><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Comic Sans MS"; mso-themecolor: text2; mso-themeshade: 191; mso-bidi-font-family: BookmanOldStyle;">Les Hastings</span></strong><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></strong></span></p>
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