Ride to The Open for PSPA
Iain Beddow is raising money for PSPA
Story
This summer, I’m taking on a big personal challenge with three amazing friends — Jack, Matt, and Oli — as we cycle to watch the world's best golfers descend on Portrush for the Open championship.
Our journey will start from Matt's house in Cheshire cycling to Birkenhead, crossing the Irish Sea on the overnight ferry to Belfast, before cycling along the breath-taking Causeway Coast.
"Why don't we cycle to the Open"
What started as a bit of a joke in the group chat, having won tickets to the Open's ballot in October, quickly gained momentum as a challenge worth exploring...
We’ll be covering long distances over 200 miles(!), tackling coastal climbs, and pushing far beyond anything we've done before...all to raise funds for PSPA (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Association) as part of their Understood campaign.
Why PSPA?
I’m doing this for my mum, Pamela Beddow, who is living with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) — a rare and devastating neurological condition that slowly robs you of the person you love.
PSP affects movement, speech, balance, and cognition. There’s currently no cure, and very few people know about it. Watching my mum live with PSP and the toll it has taken on her and loved ones has been incredibly hard — it’s like losing someone gradually while they’re still here.
PSPA is the only UK charity dedicated to creating a better future for everyone affected by PSP & Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD). We're supporting them to help fund research, improve support, and raise vital awareness so that families like mine feel supported — and so that PSP and CBD are finally Understood.
Cycling the Causeway Coast means even more to me because it’s part of my family history. My Mum's family (Gilmore / Ritchie) were both from Northern Ireland and we still have family there today. Frequent summer road trips from Plymouth to Belfast via the ferry at Liverpool, and up to Castlerock were a regular summer holiday for Mum and the whole Gilmore family growing up. We'll be retracing those well trodden roads, but on two wheels this summer!
If you know my Mum, you'll know she loves it when people come together and get behind something. Any support you can give — no matter how small — will make a huge difference. Together, we’re aiming to raise £1,000
Thank you for reading, for donating, and for helping us ride for something that matters 💜
