TWO friends are set for an epic charity challenge – to ride their motorbikes 800 miles through five countries in 24 hours!
Pals Paul Mulcock and Kevin Leonard are undertaking the sponsored motorbike ride in a bid to raise £5,000 for Cancer Research.
They will also be joined by Kevin's daughter Zoe, who will ride pillion with her dad.
The ride is also by way of celebration. Kevin's wife Nick was diagnosed with cancer five years ago, but was recently given the all-clear by doctors.
Paul, Kev and Zoe will set out from Slaithwaite and will use ferry crossings to cover England, Wales, the Irish Republic, Northern Ireland and Scotland before returning to the Colne Valley.
The longest leg will involve a seven-hour stretch on the bikes while the adventurers will sleep on the ferries where possible.
Paul runs executive search and selection company Broad Oak Solutions at Slaithwaite while Kevin is a qualified Driving Standards Agency motorbike instructor.
The ride will start at 9pm on Friday, September 30 from The Commercial pub in Slaithwaite and will finish there 24 hours later.
Paul said: "We'll be sporting pink hi-vis vests and pink helmets and not getting much sleep! However, we have been training for the past six weeks doing night rides and long distance rides to get ourselves prepared."
He added: "I can't think of a better way of raising much-needed cash for this great charity and celebrating my close friend's relief that his wife has been free of cancer since first being diagnosed five years ago.
"Cancer affects so many great people and perhaps this somewhat crazy ride will publicise and support a terrific charity which helps so many people in the face of a savage and destructive disease." Paul, who lives at Slaithwaite, will be riding a Suzuki Marauder while Kev, who lives at Birkby and taught Paul to ride, will be on a Honda Deauville machine.
Paul said: "Kev is a great mate and he's given me the ability to ride safely after years of dreaming about learning to ride, so supporting a cause close to his heart is a very personal reason to do my bit for an increasingly valuable charity."
Supporters of the challenge include national pork products firm Tulip UK Ltd, which is donating a year's supply of bacon as an auction prize, while Lockwood-based Andrew Jones Pies will provide food for the celebrations when the bikers return.
The Commercial, Slaithwaite, is hosting the send off and the return and planning a variety of fundraising activities to help swell the coffers, while help has also come from Earnshaw Motorcycles at Longroyd Bridge and Munchies Cafe at Lockwood.
To make a donation, call Paul on 07552 162086 or go to www.justgiving.com/teams/steadies |
