A 72-year-old business owner from Coulsdon is cycling 72 miles a day from Land’s End to John O’Groats to raise money for Maggie’s, the charity for people with cancer which has a centre at the Royal Marsden.
Lone rider: Ray Wookey before he set off on his Land’s End to John O’Groats challenge
Ray Wookey founded Energise E-bikes in Coulsdon in 2011. He had originally planned to tackle the 1,008-mile journey going the whole length of mainland Britain for his 72nd birthday in May. However, restrictions caused by covid-19 threw his plans and training schedule into disarray.
Wookey set off on this gruelling challenge last week, and after pedalling for seven to eight hours every day, he hopes to reach the most northerly point on the British mainland by Saturday, September 19.
“This will be a real challenge,” he told Inside Croydon.
“It’s by far the longest I will ever have travelled by bike, but Maggie’s is such a worthwhile cause that I’m determined to complete it.
“I visited Maggie’s earlier this year and I was so impressed by the facilities. I just had to do something to support it. It creates a serene, supportive environment so it’s easy to see why people with cancer find it so helpful.”
Electric bikes like those that Wookey sells at Energise E-bikes, and which he is using for the ride, are able to amplify the rider’s pedal-power when required. However, this extra power is not available unless the rider is pedalling. “If people think an electric bike is a free ride, they won’t get very far. To complete this ride, I’ll have to work for it,” Wookey said.
Wookey is posting a video diary of his epic journey to his business’s website (click here to view), and is more than four-fifths of the way to reaching his £5,000 fund-raising target.
To help him reach his target before he reaches John O’Groats, click here.
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