Richard Williams
Cycle Ride Land's End to John O'Groats
Fundraising for Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia Support Group
Story
Thank you for visiting this fundraising page. Please dig deep and sponsor me online, ideally paying after I've completed the trip (see below). This was just me making the trip without any mobile support team with support on only my first and my third day.
This event is now complete, I enjoyed it & was exhausted!
Familial Spastic Paraplegia (FSP) is a rare neurological condition which is also known as Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP), Familial Spastic Paraparesis or Strumpell-Lorraine Syndrome. This progressive condition is a genetical disorder caused by the inheritance of one or more abnormal genes from an affected parent, is characterized by slowly progressive spasticity and weakness of the lower limbs. During early onset of the condition there may be evidence of stiffness and weakness of the legs followed later by a scissoring spastic gait. As a result of this spasticity, FSP affected people expend a much greater level of effort than an able bodied person in performing the walking process. Bladder problems and fatigue are other problems associated with this condition.
The severity of the effects of FSP varies from patient to patient. Where one patient may experience early onset FSP, but manage to walk unaided for the rest of his life, another patient may require the use of a wheelchair within a few years of onset. There is no cure for FSP, but there is medication available by prescription that may ease some of the problems.
Fortunately I am still in the early stages of FSP and so I am fit and able to cycle but I am unable to run or walk fast. However, I have decided to cycle the length of the country end to end from Land's End to John O'Groats! This is something that I've wanted to do since my childhood when I learned to ride on a small wheeled Moulton bicycle. I have bought a modern larger wheeled version of this bicycle to do the trip! My plan is, in June, to complete this trip as a sponsored cycle ride for the FSP Group. I will depart from Land's End on June 9th and plan to reach John O'Groats on June 23rd. Training for this is hard work as my mileages are quite high and there are some big hills to climb! I will be travelling between fifty miles & one hundred miles a day with one day of rest during this expedition. My stops on route are Redruth, Frithelstock, Clevedon, Hereford, Shrewsbury, Manchester, Shap, Moffat, Bearsden, Glencoe, Drumnadrochit, Altnahara and Thurso. Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: The Familial Spastic Paraplegia Support Group 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. This facility is being arranged, approval is needed from the Inland Revenue first which takes some time as this is a brand new Charity! Please support me by sponsoring me as this really is a one-off! I am not expecting to be able to do this ever again and the FSP group needs both your money and lots of publicity! We hope to have Giftaid in place by the completion of the ride so payment on completion could be the best way for everyone. Please visit www.fspgroup.org for more information about FSP. Thank you in anticipation of your support! Richard Williams. Progress Update: 09/06/05 Richard arrives at Penzance Airport, and is taken with bike to Lands End to commence marathon Richard set off from Lands End at 13-30 and arrived in Redruth at 18-00 for 1st overnight stop 10/06/05 After a full day's cycling Richard arrived slightly behind schedule at The Clinton Arms, Frithelstock, near Torrington. 11/06/05 95 miles made this the longest phase. Richard arrived in Clevedon at 20-45. 12/06/05 Following a 60 mile ride, Richard safely reached his Hereford destination. 13/06/05 Another suuccessful day and Richard arrived safely in Shrewsbury 14/06/05 After 10 hours in the saddle and 88 miles Richard arrived at his mum's house in Manchester 15/06/05 Richard enjoyed the scheduled day of rest - the only one on the agenda! 16/06/05 93 miles in the saddle and Richard arrived in Shap (beyond halfway!). 17/06/05 After 79 miles on the road, Richard arrived safely in Moffat. 18/06/2005 After 73 miles Richard arrived in Bearsden (Glasgow) for his overnight stop at the home of fellow FSP Support Group members. Thank you Ron & Liz for your support and hospitality. 19/06/2005 88 miles on the road and Richard arrived in Glencoe 20/06/2005 After 6.5 hours cycling and 72 miles, at 7pm Richard arrived safely in Drumnadrochit 21/06/2005 After 8 hours 50 minutes on the road and 88 miles under the belt, at 9-15 pm Richard arrived in Altnahara. 22/06/2005 Richard had a great day today and decided to bypass Thurso and continue the extra 20 miles to John O'Groats before returning to Thurso for his overnight stay. Congratulations and very well done Richard - a remarkable efffort!!!
This event is now complete, I enjoyed it & was exhausted!
Familial Spastic Paraplegia (FSP) is a rare neurological condition which is also known as Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP), Familial Spastic Paraparesis or Strumpell-Lorraine Syndrome. This progressive condition is a genetical disorder caused by the inheritance of one or more abnormal genes from an affected parent, is characterized by slowly progressive spasticity and weakness of the lower limbs. During early onset of the condition there may be evidence of stiffness and weakness of the legs followed later by a scissoring spastic gait. As a result of this spasticity, FSP affected people expend a much greater level of effort than an able bodied person in performing the walking process. Bladder problems and fatigue are other problems associated with this condition.
The severity of the effects of FSP varies from patient to patient. Where one patient may experience early onset FSP, but manage to walk unaided for the rest of his life, another patient may require the use of a wheelchair within a few years of onset. There is no cure for FSP, but there is medication available by prescription that may ease some of the problems.
Fortunately I am still in the early stages of FSP and so I am fit and able to cycle but I am unable to run or walk fast. However, I have decided to cycle the length of the country end to end from Land's End to John O'Groats! This is something that I've wanted to do since my childhood when I learned to ride on a small wheeled Moulton bicycle. I have bought a modern larger wheeled version of this bicycle to do the trip! My plan is, in June, to complete this trip as a sponsored cycle ride for the FSP Group. I will depart from Land's End on June 9th and plan to reach John O'Groats on June 23rd. Training for this is hard work as my mileages are quite high and there are some big hills to climb! I will be travelling between fifty miles & one hundred miles a day with one day of rest during this expedition. My stops on route are Redruth, Frithelstock, Clevedon, Hereford, Shrewsbury, Manchester, Shap, Moffat, Bearsden, Glencoe, Drumnadrochit, Altnahara and Thurso. Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: The Familial Spastic Paraplegia Support Group 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. This facility is being arranged, approval is needed from the Inland Revenue first which takes some time as this is a brand new Charity! Please support me by sponsoring me as this really is a one-off! I am not expecting to be able to do this ever again and the FSP group needs both your money and lots of publicity! We hope to have Giftaid in place by the completion of the ride so payment on completion could be the best way for everyone. Please visit www.fspgroup.org for more information about FSP. Thank you in anticipation of your support! Richard Williams. Progress Update: 09/06/05 Richard arrives at Penzance Airport, and is taken with bike to Lands End to commence marathon Richard set off from Lands End at 13-30 and arrived in Redruth at 18-00 for 1st overnight stop 10/06/05 After a full day's cycling Richard arrived slightly behind schedule at The Clinton Arms, Frithelstock, near Torrington. 11/06/05 95 miles made this the longest phase. Richard arrived in Clevedon at 20-45. 12/06/05 Following a 60 mile ride, Richard safely reached his Hereford destination. 13/06/05 Another suuccessful day and Richard arrived safely in Shrewsbury 14/06/05 After 10 hours in the saddle and 88 miles Richard arrived at his mum's house in Manchester 15/06/05 Richard enjoyed the scheduled day of rest - the only one on the agenda! 16/06/05 93 miles in the saddle and Richard arrived in Shap (beyond halfway!). 17/06/05 After 79 miles on the road, Richard arrived safely in Moffat. 18/06/2005 After 73 miles Richard arrived in Bearsden (Glasgow) for his overnight stop at the home of fellow FSP Support Group members. Thank you Ron & Liz for your support and hospitality. 19/06/2005 88 miles on the road and Richard arrived in Glencoe 20/06/2005 After 6.5 hours cycling and 72 miles, at 7pm Richard arrived safely in Drumnadrochit 21/06/2005 After 8 hours 50 minutes on the road and 88 miles under the belt, at 9-15 pm Richard arrived in Altnahara. 22/06/2005 Richard had a great day today and decided to bypass Thurso and continue the extra 20 miles to John O'Groats before returning to Thurso for his overnight stay. Congratulations and very well done Richard - a remarkable efffort!!!