The 100-mile bike ride from Derby to Skegness is an event organised by employees of Rolls-Royce Turbine Blade Facility (TBF). The goal is to raise funds for Rainbows Children’s Hospice. This ride has been happening every summer and is becoming a tradition amongst TBF employees.

When Rob Rowan approached me at the end of March to invite me to join this year’s ride, I decided to accept the invitation, motivated mainly by the challenge. Since then, I have been training to perform well on the big day. I have been going to the TBF gym after work and riding my bicycle around Derbyshire / Leicestershire on weekends.  I need to thank Richard Hill and Paul Haywood for the support / instruction they have been giving me. However, I have to admit that it was only recently that I decided to learn about Rainbows’ activities, and since then I cannot stop thinking about how impressive Rainbows is. I feel that all the effort and time I’ve been putting into my preparation is nothing, compared to the incredible dedication of Rainbows’ staff.

Rainbows works with children who will not have the same sort of future that people usually have. They were born with a range of very disabling medical conditions; which make their lives short and limited. They will not go to school, have a boyfriend / girlfriend. They will never have a job; they will never get married and have children. Furthermore, the children’s conditions add a lot of stress to the families that struggle to provide care for them.

After learning about Rainbows’ work, I realised that what really matters is not that those children will not have a normal and long life, but the importance and value of their lives. Rainbows’ work is irrefutable evidence of the power of love and the value of life regardless of how short it is.  I accepted Rob’s invitation thinking about the challenge to ride 100 miles; now my thoughts are just with Rainbows’ complete dedication to the children’s life, and I will do my best to support this group.

My dear friends, I would be very grateful if you could please sponsor me by making a donation to this wonderful cause.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your personal information is safe with JustGiving – it will never be sold and you will never receive unwanted emails. Once you donate, Just Giving sends your money directly to the Rainbows. It's a most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So, please dig deep and donate now!

Fábio N. Leão