Story
Bike for brains are back and this time riding in aid of Race against Dementia
Inspired by the success of our LEJOG in 2015 (£43,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK) we thought we’d go again. Not quite the same team but just as much enthusiasm for the ride and the cause. Still raising money for research into the diseases that cause dementia and this time in support of Sir Jackie Stewart’s charity Race Against Dementia.
We heard of Race Against Dementia from John Clark, great friend of Sir Jackie Stewart who set up the charity only 3 years ago. With the help of his PA Ed, who is riding with us, he is raising money for research
into the diseases (like Alzheimer's) that cause dementia.
Sir Jackie's wife Helen (76), has Fronto-Temporal Dementia and now needs round-the-clock care. So tragic, when you think that for many years she was his razor-sharp time keeper. During his races she was able to time laps for every driver on the grid. My mum died last year, aged 76, with the same type of dementia. Sir Jackie is determined to find a solution.
We plan to cycle all the way from Edinburgh to York in one day. That’s approx 200 miles and 12,000ft of climbing. Our team is:
Oli Anderson - works at Renault F1 team
Cath Baxter - I have literally not stopped cycling since LEJOG
Ed Hassard, incredibly hard-working and fast-moving PA to Sir Jackie Stewart
Robert Howarth, when not cycling, he just about manages to find a bit of time for his day job (Huntsman for Fife Foxhounds)
Guy Myram, Oli's (friendly) rival at McLaren
Douglas Shaw, bike fitter at Edinburgh Bike Fitting joins the ride as his
mother, in her mid 50s, was diagnosed with a rare form of dementia - Posterior Cortical Atrophy.
...no girls apart from me cycling yet - but two very important girls in the John Clark Motors back-up van, Jackie Johnstone, making sure we are pointing in the right direction and throwing us Jelly Babies and the odd bacon butty. Susan Baldwin from destination66 will be blogging the ride. Last but deffo not least - the great, the wonderful and very handy with a spanner or an allen key, Dan Docherty, of 2 Wheel Care, Fife, our team mechanic. What can I say, he kept us smiling and our bikes safe all the way up the UK 3 years ago. So long as we bring enough sugar for his cups of tea he'll look after our punctures.
We set off from Holyrood Palace on the longest day of the year at 3.30am and we pedal and pedal and pedal until we reach York Minster.
Please support us if you can and do follow our progress on instagram: bikeforbrains2
Sponsor us by the mile, sponsor us in a one-er, sponsor us for every mile you think we might not be crying.
Heartfelt thanks, Cath