Three Chorleywood residents have conquered a brutal cycling challenge to raise money for charity.
Will Cook, Sean Brew and Edward Hems were amongst a team of 20 Cure Parkinson’s (CP) supporters, which included three people living with the illness, who tackled the notorious Club des Cinglés challenge on June 15.
The team traversed the arid, rocky terrain of Mont Ventoux in Provence, France, three times in a single day, ascending 4,443 meters and travelling a total of 136km.
Cure Parkinson’s was originally founded in nearby Croxley, and is dedicated to find new treatments to slow, stop and reverse the disease.
CP CEO and Chorleywood resident Will Cook said: “Taking on this mountain three times in one day in blazing sunshine was not fun. Many of us spent more than 10 hours in the saddle. But it was the camaraderie of the CP team that got us through when things got particularly tough. I’m in awe of the people living with Parkinson’s who climbed the mountain with us, one doing all three ascents himself. ‘Inspirational’ is an over-used term in the charity world, but it is thoroughly appropriate in this case.”
Resident and rider Sean Brew said: “For all CP cycle events, you expect long days in the saddle with a healthy dose of pain and suffering – ascending Mont Ventoux three times in a day certainly did not disappoint in that regard!
“This suffering, however, is optional and temporary – having Parkinson’s is not. We were all delighted to turn the peddles to raise sponsorship to fund research into accelerating finding a cure for this horrible disease.”
Edward Hems said: “It was relentless. Riding it three times in the same day in the 30-degree Provence heat made it a real challenge for any rider and one of the hardest things I have done. The riders with Parkinson’s made me feel quite humbled in the achievement and it was a privilege to do it with such an inspiring team and for such a worthy cause.”
The cycling challenge has so far raised more than £42,000, and can still be supported by visiting https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/raidventoux23
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