Sponsored Cycle Ride from John o' Groats to Land's End
Simon Mudie and Jess Hill arrived in the Welsh Capital to cheers from Welsh staff and volunteers. They arrived at 7pm on the 5th of September after a difficult 70 mile ride through Builth Wells and Brecon.
Joined by Dave Hill, Ian Sutton and Derek Thomas for the ride into Cardiff, Simon and Jess have another fours days hard of cycling ahead before they arrive at their final destination. To find out more and to support the pair, follow the links below:
http://www.justgiving.com/1000milesofsmiles
http://mindworkseducation.co.uk/
26th Aug 07.11 "Thanks for your kind wishes and regular check ins. Got here about 11pm. It's cold up here in the arctic circle!"
27th Aug 17.53 "Hi Keiron, it's Jess. We are well thank you. In Fort-William tonight, a bit tired but enjoying."
30th Aug 06.45 "Met up with BP Scotland yesterday. Very nice people, lots of talk. Jess has some fab notes and pictures for the newsletter."
1st Sept 12.15 "Super girl Jess was fiercely determined yesterday. 95 miles, last 3 pitch black freezing cold fog. Baileys on arrival warmed her up! Lazy day today, 45 miles, finishing at Windermere, where I will jump in a lake."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two volunteers from Wales, Simon Mudie and Jessica Hill are cycling 1000 miles from John o' Groats to Land's End, from Wednesday 25th August to Thursday 9th September. Simon has worked out the boring stuff, where they are going and mending the bikes etc.; Jessica has worked her aesthetic magic making it look good.
Their mutual passion was revealed during an excellent self development course arranged by MDF The BiPolar Charity, and they decided to combine that activity with our commitment to advocating and publicising the fantastic work of the charity. Self help groups on our route are especially welcome to get involved.
People have been very generous and they have received encouragement for their Lycra clad bodies from members of the public. The cyclists have received frequent honks of the horn, wolf whistles, and unclear comments as signs of encouragement. Simon thought they were all for him. Jess didn't agree, and even pedalled furiously after a builder's van to get clarification from the muscular male occupants.
Simon and Jess would like to thank everybody who has helped them, especially Riverlea Tractors. If you would like to support the bicycling duo, please follow the link below.
To donate securely using the internet, please visit: http://www.justgiving.com/1000milesofsmiles
For further information please check the following website: http://mindworkseducation.co.uk/ where you can make a donation or offer your support.
Simon Mudie & Jessica Hill
************************************************************************************************************************
Jo's Great Wall of China Trek
Since Jo Austin was told she had bipolar disorder 18 months ago, life has not been easy. 'I was in hospital for three months and since then I have had two other admissions,' says Jo, who is a police officer with the Metropolitan Police in Bromley, Kent. She gained three stone in weight and had problems with her medication.
'On the last admission in July last year the doctors changed my medication to lithium, which literally changed my life. I am now stable and happy, and with my training and healthy eating - and the change in medication - I have lost two of the three stone I put on'. Now Jo has decided to put her newfound fitness to the test with a trek along the Great Wall of China - and all the sponsorship money raised will come to MDF the BiPolar Organisation. It was the charity's Canterbury group co-facilitator, Mark Kilbey, who helped Jo when she was having a very difficult time with her illness, and she is very grateful to him and to the charity. 'I was at a party at New Year and I thought "I'm not going to be the Jo who's going into hospital or frightened of losing her house" - I decided I was going to do something positive in 2010', says Jo, who is 35 and looked the picture of vitality when we met in Bromley. 'I found a charity-based company on the internet, Skyline, who organize treks and challenges for people who want to raise funds for good causes. I have chosen to donate the money I raise to MDF The BiPolar Organisation because it is very close to my heart.' So now Jo is training regularly in preparation for her trip to China in October. She's going with friend Michelle Armstrong, and will trek along the Great Wall for nine days with a group of people on similar challenges.
'I went to a police rehabilitation centre for two weeks after I was ill, and the staff there helped me with stress relief and devising an exercise programme so I know what I need to do', says Jo, who is a divorced mother of one.
When she was ill, Jo says her biggest worry was that her son, aged 11, would be taken away from her: 'I was so worried about not being a good enough mother and how I'd frightened him with my strange behaviour. That was my biggest fear, but luckily my ex-husband was very supportive throughout and helped me to get back on track'.
Jo is also very grateful to her employers, the Metropolitan Police. 'The senior management team here at Bromley have been fantastic - very supportive. They found me a non-uniform job and have allowed me to return to work gradually, building back up to fulltime, and I also have help from occupational health,' she says.
Jo is also glad that she hasn't suffered any stigmatising treatment from colleagues in the Force: 'I felt the best way to deal with it was to tell my immediate team what the problem was, and they have been brilliant,' she says.
Apart from her new training regime, Jo is also busy collecting sponsorship money to donate to MDF when the trek is completed. Anyone inspired to support her can go to www.justgiving.co.uk Click on 'Sponsor a friend' and enter Jo Austin.
Jo is sure that organizing the trip has helped her come to terms with managing her condition and getting on with her life: 'Sometimes I used to feel I couldn't face the world, but now I wake up every morning feeling really positive about training for my trek and raising lots of money for MDF.' I'm sure everyone wishes her the very best of luck!
Clare Dolman, Research Editor Pendulum
************************************************************************************************************************
'Trafalgar' crosses the Alps
Scots grandfather Donald Drysdale and his friend Antony O'Gorman have recently returned from a 2,000-mile sponsored drive through seven European countries in their 1964 Morris Minor 1,000 Tourer known as 'Trafalgar'.
They spent much of their time in the Alps, and high points of their expedition included driving their 46 year old car over some of the highest mountain passes in eastern Switzerland at altitudes up to nearly 8,000 feet above sea level, reaching Italy and Austria.
Trafalgar performed admirably throughout the trip, and was equally at home cruising autoroutes and autobahns at 70mph or negotiating amazingly steep hills and sharp hairpin bends in the Alps. They also met an amazing range of other interesting old cars on their travels.
Donald and Antony planned the drive as a three-week holiday to visit friends in Switzerland, but then decided to seek sponsorship in aid of leading mental health charity MDF The BiPolar Organisation because their proposed itinerary seemed such a challenge for their elderly but beautifully restored Morris. They chose MDF because Donald and many of his wider family suffer from bipolar disorder.
Since they returned they've created a website containing a detailed diary of the trip, illustrated with many of their photos, and this is accessible to all those who support their fund-raising effort.
Further details are available at www.JustGiving.com/DonaldDrysdale and, if you donate to MDF there and leave your email address, they'll send you details of how to access their diary.
************************************************************************************************************************
