"They must be mad!" I hear you say, but not when you consider that my Dad has suffered with Parkinson's disease for over 10 years. During this time he has not complained once about his disease so cycling 300 miles in order to raise funds for this excellent charity pales into insignificance by comparison and is the very least I can do to help make a difference to people who live with this burden every single day. I will be accompanied by three very good friends on this ride, Tony Vesty a family friend and fitness fanatic, Ian Dowling who works in the fitness industry and is a keen cyclist and also Ian Mcara who is captain of his local rugby team and an indusrty colleague. Ian McAra and his 2 daughters Lauren and Melissa (12 & 14) all suffer with a form of Parkinson's disease called Dopa Responsive Dystonia so you can see that this event means a lot to him and his family as well. All three of these guys are true gentlemen and definitely up for a challenge. Our route is to take us from Margate, Kent (my Mum's home town), to Brighton, Sussex (my Dad's home town) and finishing in Barnstaple, Devon which is now home to all of us. With a bit of luck my wife Lisa and my 3 beautiful daughters Bethany, Paige and Hope will be waiting for me with a cup of black coffee and a cheer. We hope to complete the challenge in 4 days but if training goes well we may push to complete it in 3. People like my Dad, Ian, Lauren and Melissa who suffer with Parkinson's disease are more common place than you might think and need all the help that you, and I can give, so please dig deep and help us to raise lots of money so that their lives may be just that little bit easier.
We are completing this challenge for 2 charities as my Mum has also been an Asthma sufferer for over 40 years.
We would like to try and raise money equally for both charities so please do visit my Asthma UK page at www.justgiving.com/andyunstead1 and pledge some money there too.
If you could take the time to visit both pages and split your donations equally, this will ensure that both charities gain the vital support that they need.
Thank you for visiting our fundraising page.
Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Parkinson's Disease Society will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.
So please sponsor us now!
Many thanks for your support.
Andy, Tony and Ian M & Ian D
