NEWSFLASH: We did it!!

Ant and I arrived in Paris on 31st July 2010. So, if you were holding out to see if we could do it - please donate now! We have been amazed by people's genorisity, but would love to get a bit closer to our fundraising target!

Thank you to everyone who has supported us in this adventure. It has been hard work, but great fun and worth all the effort!

 

Hi everyone and welcome to our "Pedal to Paris" page

On 28th July 2010 we'll be setting off to do a four day 300 mile "Pedal to Paris". That's a long way!!

The challenge...

We'll be cycling between 80-90 miles per day on the first three days, and almost 60 miles on the final day, when our route will finish under the Eiffel Tower.

Amanda says...

Those of you who know me will know I'm not a major fitness freak! My previous experiences of cycling have all been very much on a leisure basis, going for a slow potter along a cycle path on a Sunday afternoon and preferably ending at a pub for a nice lunch! This ride is in a completely different league, so I've given myself a year to train and have linked up with the Cycling Tourists Club in Exeter, who have been excellent. I'm delighted to report that the routes are planned around coffee stops and cake, so it's not all bad!  I've started a blog to record my progress, so for more details (and reviews on coffee shops with nice cakes!), please visit: http://amandaspedaltoparis.blogspot.com/

April Update: Many of you will know I suffered a setback with training on Boxing Day when I came of my bike in icy conditions. I am now getting back into training, but I wasn't able to cycle for three months, so this was a real set back and I have a long way to go to get my fitness levels back up to what they need to be. I am determined to do this and to keep smiling, so thank you to everyone for all your support and please give generously to encourage us on our way!

 

The reason...

Obviously, we're not going to put ourselves through all of this for nothing! This is a whopping great challenge and we're hoping to raise lots of money as a result! There will be a team of us cycling to raise funds for Exeter Deaf Academy. The Academy provides a primary and secondary school and a Further Education college for deaf students. Whilst deafness itself is not a learning disability, barriers to communication can be.

Mainstream school can be a very tough place for many deaf children, where loneliness and isolation can be commonplace. The Academy provides an environment in which deaf children can communicate with their peers, develop their language skills and boost their confidence, which in turn benefits their ability to learn. The Academy staff are specialists who work with each individual child to enable them to achieve their full potential and to become independent adults who can live and work in a hearing world.

We'll be paying for the costs of this trip ourselves, so all the money we raise will be going directly to support the work of Exeter Deaf Academy.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the Academy.

Please Gift Aid your donation if you are eligible to do so (the donation pages will take you through this) - this means that the Academy can receive tax back on the donations you have made. This doesn't cost you a penny, but does mean we have the potential to raise an extra £2.80 for every £10 donated - this is well worth doing and will make all our efforts even more worthwhile!

Thank you!

Amanda & Anthoney