Our Raid Alpine challengers cross the finish line, raising £150k …and still climbing!
On Saturday 9 July, our incredible team of supporters crossed the finish line of their Raid Alpine challenge, covering 770km of distance and 18,000m of ascent – all on their bikes and all in just six days!
Setting off on Monday 4 July, this dedicated group of 22 riders faced some of the most feared Alpine climbs of the Raid route, crossing from the shore of Lake Geneva to the coastal town of Nice.
The team of 22 included five inspirational people living with Parkinson’s, Cure Parkinson’s patron Mike Tindall, his rugby world-cup winning team-mate Iain Balshaw and Cure Parkinson’s CEO Will Cook. The challenge was relentless; the ascents only increasing each day as they tackled some of the world’s most famous mountain passes, including Col du Galibier, Col d’Izoard and Cime de la Bonette.
Like each member of the team, Simon Bland, who is living with Parkinson’s, took on the challenge to raise funds and awareness of the condition.
I can’t begin to describe the dopamine rush that you get coming down off the Cols, but coming up the hill is hard, pills are working in and out. We’ve got to find a cure, I don’t want Parkinson’s and I don’t want other people to feel what I feel. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated. This condition can be beaten.
Simon Bland
Alison Anderson and Claire Lehman, who are also living with Parkinson’s, were part of a group of five who started out slightly earlier to spread the journey across 10 days.
Meeting the three other people with Parkinson’s was incredibly emotional for me. Knowing some of the specific struggles we had shared, the balance problems, fatigue, sleepless nights despite being exhausted… The challenge of trying to optimise our medication with so many additional variables and an unspoken understanding of the daily trials and tribulations of living with a progressive neurological condition, as well a deep respect for each other, pride and gratitude that we were able to tackle this challenge and help to raise awareness and much needed funds for Cure Parkinson’s.
Alison Anderson
Cure Parkinson’s is extremely grateful to this amazing group of cyclists for taking on the monumental Raid Alpine challenge. We are inspired by their sheer determination to keep going in spite of the heat, exhaustion, blisters, and more besides.
And to top it all, they have raised £150,000 and the total continues to climb..!
You can still donate too!
With thanks to our generous sponsors:
4D Life, AEGIS, AJIP Consulting, alethia, Alitur, AQ construction services LTD, ATRIUM, Barcapel, BCG, Bonhams, Bray & Krais, Butcher’s, caroo.co.uk, Chess, CIM, Clear Storage, Cloyda care home, där, Delinea, Diney Costeloe, DSG, First Capital, Gamma, gia, Grandad pat, Graphical, Holroyd, Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation, Invosys, ION, Jonny Tours, Laurie Pembroke, LEVMET, Lifecover.com, London Metric, LP, LSHIM, Lxi REIT, Marks & Clerk, Marmot tours, mason owen FS, mason owen PC, Montgomery’s cheese, Niftylift, Owayo, Physique, Profoil, radius, Sage, Sentient, Simmons + Simmons, Sixdegrees, SPF, Symphony cycling, TalkTalk Business, Tatton, The CHAPAR, Vabeld, Veloforte, Virtual1, WP