Paul Felton will be joining 150 other riders next summer and taking on the challenge of cycling from London to Paris to help raise vital funds for Cure Leukaemia.
Paul will be taking on 500 km over the course of 4 days on the saddle and will be raising a total of £1,500 for Cure Leukaemia.
Paul recently spoke about his motivation for taking on such a challenge, and why fundraising for Cure Leukaemia is so important to him:
“About 8 years ago, the son of one of my customers was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
It was a terrible shock to the family so I decided I couldn’t stand by and just offer best wishes. I wanted to do something more pro-active.
I set out to raise enough money to buy Ollie and his brother Louis some bikes to help with Ollie’s recovery.
Through the generosity of others, I was able to do both this and also pay for a much-needed holiday for the whole family once Ollie had sufficiently recovered.”
Paul also has a very personal connection to cancer, and this also plays a big part in his motivation:
“Sadly, just over six years ago, on my 50th Birthday, I watched my dad die from cancer.
He spent his whole life being active, healthy, living well and considering others before himself and the injustice of what happened to him and Ollie has stayed with me and ignited a spark to do my small part in the fight against this terrible disease.”
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Paul is a keen cyclist, and this won’t be the first time he’s taken to the saddle for a long period of time. He’s even previously represented GB at the Granfondo World Championships in Poland in 2019.
“I spend quite a lot of time on my various bikes either commuting or competing in events both here and abroad.
Next year, during Easter, I shall be cycling the Velodyssee (1,300km north to south in France) over 14 days.
In the week leading up to London 2 Paris I’ll be trying once more to qualify to represent GB at the Granfondo World Championships in Glasgow so I’m hoping to be in fairly good shape by the time we set off from London. Fingers crossed!”
Paul was feeling very positive about taking on the ride next summer and spoke about how he’s excited to be able to use cycling for good and use his love of cycling to help fundraise for a charity that he’s so passionate about.
“I can’t wait to be honest. Fundraising for such a worthy cause is always so rewarding. It doesn’t hurt that I can do so by doing something that I love to do: Cycling. I’m excited to be part of such a prestigious event and to share the experience with so many inspirational people.
I can’t wait to hear their stories, make new friends, and ride new roads.”
Paul will be joining 150 other riders on 8th – 12th June 2023 to ride London 2 Paris, with a personal fundraising target of £1,500, all of which will be going straight back to the charity and helping to connect patients to potentially lifesaving treatments.
