Jenny’s Story
LEJOG cycling - June 2017 & London-Surrey 100 - July 2017

I love cycling. On 22 June 2017 I’m setting off from Land’s End for the ride of a lifetime. The epic end-to-end challenge of Land’s End to John O’Groats is an adventure I’ve been planning for a while. My goal is to complete the journey in 10 days, which is almost 100 miles per day, 10 days back-to-back. I am both scared and excited.

The training is intense. In January, I began increasing my weekly miles from around 100 to over 200, fitting them in around work and other commitments. Whatever the weather, I’m out riding in it, pushing hard up as many hills as I can to get fitter and stronger.

With a new comfy saddle but an old back injury sure to nag me on my way, I hope I can finish. From Cornwall to Scotland - it’s a long way on a bike.

And as if that’s not enough cycling, I'm riding the London-Surrey 100 4 weeks later, at the end of July with my Swindon Wheelers buddy Paul (over to Paul below).

We're both raising money for SpecialEffect who enable severely disabled people to use computers in any way possible – with whichever part(s) of their body that work best - by adapting technology to their individual needs.

They specialise in Eye Control Technology. Imagine: You’re paralysed & can’t move anything except your eyes. You can’t speak. Through eye-movement alone, they enable people to operate a computer to communicate & regain a little independence, giving them a voice when they don’t have one.

Tom, a young lad they helped recently, wrote simply: “I want to thank you for giving me my life back.”

Paul's Story
London-Surrey 100 - July 2017

I enjoy a challenge. My history is a military man & I've managed to achieve quite a few goals. My main sport was rugby but due to injuries I took up cycling instead. I believe if you're going to do something then get into it and set yourself targets and challenges. My challenge this year is the Ride London 100 -100 miles carrying 18 stone is going to be some challenge (& no, that's not a back pack!). I can't wait to get to the hills like Newlands, Leaf & of course Box Hill (I may do that twice to ensure I suffer enough). Cycling's now a big part of my life; I lead the local club Swindon Wheelers Novices & beginners group rides.

Ride London 100 is the Marathon on two wheels, average time 7-9 hours. And as with the Marathon, it's not necessarily the event on the day but all the hard work leading up to it to ensure you make it through in as little pain as possible. Winter training's been going well & the Turbo Trainer's also been getting a battering.

Whilst attempting to gain entry into Ride London, I remember a lady that came out cycling with us on a cold & frosty Boxing Day. Cycling not being her chosen sport, she went on to complete a good solid 40 miles with an excellent attitude & very good pace. During the ride we discussed she worked for SpecialEffect charity & I remember her words “If they can move their eyes we can help them”. I went to visit SE; the work they do is outstanding & can quite simply give someone the will to carry on living, by way of being able to communicate how they're feeling from a body that does not work, an amazing & awe-inspiring set up.

Your donation big or small can only be beneficial to the hundreds of people it helps. How lucky we are to be able to experience the event & to do this ride; I'm quite sure there would be hundreds of SpecialEffect service users who'd be over the moon to be able to participate, or indeed be capable of even operating a TV in order to watch it.

Whether it's a penny or a pound, your support on our rides will add a major motivational boost and help make those miles easier while raising money for a brilliant cause.

Thanks for taking the time to visit our JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.