I owe my life to the Welsh Air Ambulance. They saved me after I came a cropper on a bike ride through mid-Wales in 2015. The accident was caused by a faulty cattle grid just outside Machynlleth.  (Thankfully for other cyclists this faulty cattle grid was quickly replaced by the council once they were alerted to it.)

As a tribute, and to raise much needed funds for the Welsh Air Ambulance, a group of my friends and I are to redo the route we were on back then in 2015. We start from Welshpool on the 17th of
June and cycle to Llanidloes that day. Day 2 ends in Barmouth after passing through Machynlleth - we never got that far last time due to that blasted cattle grid.  I’m very much looking forward to the last leg of this ride along the Mawddach Trail.  And for Day 3 we cycle along National Cycle Route 8 and then along the Welsh Coastal route to Conwy.  The next day will see us arriving at Chester after riding along the National Cycle Route 5.  That may be the end of the trip for some but one or two of us are then intending to cycle back to our homes near Macclesfield the next and definitely final day.

The aim of the ride is to raise money for the fantastic Welsh Air Ambulance service. Please support this service by donating on this Just Giving page.

All funds raised go to the Welsh Air Ambulance. We need this service because one day it may be you or someone you know who is saved. You don’t have to be cycling or doing anything particularly risky to be severly injured. The Trauma Consultant in the Air Ambulance team that saved me told me, after I had recovered, that their most common call out was to rescue people out walking who had been trampled by cattle.

The cover photo was taken several weeks after the accident.  I had been invited to the base to meet Dr Matt O'Meara (the trauma consultant in the crew on the day of my accident) and see the helicopter and how it is equipped.   All tremendously impressive and a service that must continue.

Thank you,

Chris Gerrard