Fundraisers taking on cycle ride from Gilmorton to Switzerland in aid of men’s mental health charity
Fundraisers are preparing to cycle more than 1,350 kilometres from the village of Gilmorton to Switzerland in aid of men’s mental health charity ManUp.
The ride is the brainchild of Darius McClean, who took up cycling after knee injuries meant he was no longer able to complete marathons for charity.
Darius will be joined on the ride by his son Jake McClean, his nephew Ryan McClean and his friend Miles Thwaites.
The charity cycle is due to cover three countries over nine days, with the first day going from Gilmorton to London.
On the second day the route will go into France, before moving into Switzerland on day six.
Once the group arrive in Grindelwald in Switzerland on day seven, they will take on a two-day bonus challenge in which they aim to climb two of the country’s iconic mountain passes at Meiringen and Interlaken.
They are due to cover 1,400 kilometres in total, including 15,000 metres of climbing, roughly 11 times the height of Ben Nevis.
The group are completing the ride in aid of ManUp and are aiming to raise awareness and funds for the men’s mental health charity.
Darius said: “Our challenge is a tough one and it shines a light on the tougher challenge - male suicide remains the leading cause of death for men under 50 in the UK.
“We have all lost friends and colleagues to suicide, and we want to raise awareness and get men talking.”
The group have decided to cover all the costs themselves so that the charity gets all the funds raised and will be riding unsupported for the first six days.
A support vehicle, self-funded by the crew, is then due to meet the group at the end of day six in Switzerland, with clean gear and spares.
The group’s main fundraising page has currently raised £2,625 towards its £5,000 target.
They have also set up a second rider support GoFundMe page, which is for anyone who would like to support the group with rider kit and accommodation costs, and this has currently raised £2,330 at the time of writing. Visit www.justgiving.com/page/g2g-bigswissride