Gavin Owston
Gav's Big Ride GBR
Fundraising for The Charlie Waller Trust
Story
On Wed Oct 18th, I am flying off to the USA to start my bike (that’s bicycle!) ride from the Canadian/US border in Maine, in the very north, to the Florida Keys in the very south. It’s a journey of over 2,000 miles and unsupported. I hope to finish the ride in 5-6 weeks’ time staying in motels and Airbnb’s along the way, carrying all of my own kit. You can follow my posts from the journey on Facebook and Instagram.
My physique is not of the modern professional cyclist. I went into my first bike shop in August 2017 and bought a “road bike”. I have trained quite a lot since then and spent a small fortune on everything you need for a long distance unsupported ride. I have the privilege of having some time off work until January and I wanted to set myself a remarkable but hopefully achievable physical challenge.
I am riding for The Charlie Waller Memorial Trust http://cwmt.org.uk and I’d be enormously grateful if you could give as you never have before – I am unlikely to be doing this again! Charlie was a great friend to so many people and I had the good fortune to know him well. Depression overcame him in his 20’s and he took his own young life. In 1997 his family set up the Trust to help educate people on staying mentally well.
The Trust aims to equip young people to look after their mental wellbeing, to help people recognise the signs of depression in themselves and others so they know when to seek help, and to ensure expert help is available when people need it. They deliver talks and training to young people and those who work with them; training for doctors, nurses, councillors and others in primary health care provision in identifying and supporting those with depression; self-help resources and training for universities and student-led organisations; and they support research and teaching in evidence-based therapies at the Charlie Waller Institute at the University of Reading.
I have so much respect for his family and all those working at the Trust for everything that they do, please give generously.
Gav
My physique is not of the modern professional cyclist. I went into my first bike shop in August 2017 and bought a “road bike”. I have trained quite a lot since then and spent a small fortune on everything you need for a long distance unsupported ride. I have the privilege of having some time off work until January and I wanted to set myself a remarkable but hopefully achievable physical challenge.
I am riding for The Charlie Waller Memorial Trust http://cwmt.org.uk and I’d be enormously grateful if you could give as you never have before – I am unlikely to be doing this again! Charlie was a great friend to so many people and I had the good fortune to know him well. Depression overcame him in his 20’s and he took his own young life. In 1997 his family set up the Trust to help educate people on staying mentally well.
The Trust aims to equip young people to look after their mental wellbeing, to help people recognise the signs of depression in themselves and others so they know when to seek help, and to ensure expert help is available when people need it. They deliver talks and training to young people and those who work with them; training for doctors, nurses, councillors and others in primary health care provision in identifying and supporting those with depression; self-help resources and training for universities and student-led organisations; and they support research and teaching in evidence-based therapies at the Charlie Waller Institute at the University of Reading.
I have so much respect for his family and all those working at the Trust for everything that they do, please give generously.
Gav