We are aiming to raise money for two charities and a local primary school or sports club by walking / running / cycling a total distance, on the Strava App of 4042km (2 x 2021km) this is the distance from Aberystwyth to Bari, Italy & back (as a crow flies). But we need your help to reach that distance target! See below on how to join the Strava groups to reach our distance total together - anyone can join, this is a collective total of everyone's efforts!

At BMO Coaching, we are aware that financial support for charities has been limited and that opportunities for children and their families have been a real struggle to find due to the Covid pandemic. As sports coaching specialists, we also know how important exercise is for the mind and body - so we want people to jump onboard with this challenge to keep fit and healthy, as well as raising vital funds for some fantastic local organisations!

BMO Coaching owner. Bryn McGilligan Oliver, decided to organise this fundraiser to support those in need in the local area as well as a charity which is close to home for him. We wanted a community effort for this challenge so we are asking anyone & everyone to get involved in this fundraiser (to get involved, see below)! We will be splitting the money raised 45/45/10% (may vary, dependent on total) with the charities listed in order below. If we raise more than our target, any extra will go towards our Health & Inclusion programme to set up a new project. Please see charity information below;

Since 1978, DASH Ceredigion has been organising a variety of leisure schemes for disabled children and young people within the county of Ceredigion. We do this so that local disabled children and their families can have a better quality of life with access to a wide choice of leisure facilities and opportunities. Parents and carers get time to recharge their batteries and disabled children and young people get time of their own for personal, social and creative development in a welcoming and fun environment. Having been in contact with DASH, we know that there's no question that children with disabilities and their families are finding it particularly difficult at the moment so we want to help them! You can find DASH Ceredigion on Facebook and their website via this link - DASH Ceredigion

Created in February 2017, The Diabetes Football Community C.I.C is a not for profit organisation which has been developed to support the needs of diabetics who share a passion for football. Our founder is a type 1 Diabetic who was diagnosed with the condition at the age of 8, in 1999. He’s seen huge developments in the care for diabetics in that time but he always felt that peer support was something that could enhance his experience. In early 2017 he decided that it was time to change that and develop a support community which fills the void he always felt was missing. We believe we can provide diabetics throughout society with a peer support network that deals with first hand experiences, that help to deliver further understanding and enjoyment from football for people with the condition. Bryn decided to support this organisation after viewing the FAW's video with TDFC Founder, Chris - Living with Type 1 Diabetes - Chris (The FAW)

As BMO Coaching owner, I (Bryn) have been living with Type 1 Diabetes since 2001. I was diagnosed at the age of 7. Football has been a massive part of my life and Chris' story hit home with me. 'The experiences that Chris has been through with his condition in relation to football have been near enough exactly the same as mine. Once I watched the video with The FAW I got in touch with Chris straight away. His passion for raising awareness of Diabetes was refreshing to see and a light bulb moment for me. I want people living with this condition to feel like they can achieve their goals and I believe their organisation can inspire others like me.' Follow TDFC on twitter, facebook & instagram. Website - The Diabetes Football Community

Finally, we are asking the community to nominate a Primary School or Sports club in the Ceredigion / Machynlleth area. We know that delivering PE has been a struggle for schools due to the pandemic. Sports clubs have also missed out on huge amounts of income which threatens the sustainability of clubs, which then removes opportunities for children. Once we have completed the challenge we will place the nominated schools & clubs into a draw to find out who will be the winners of the cheque. Get in touch with us at BMO Coaching / bmocoaching@gmail.com

Join our Strava groups to be part of the challenge! When uploading your activity we ask that you use BMO to Bari and Back or #BMO2Bari (When recording a 'walk' please change your settings to RUN on strava otherwise we can't log your distance!)

Walk/Run - Walk / Run Strava Group

Cycle - Cycle Strava Group

Thank you for reading this and we all really appreciate your support!

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