London to Paris bike ride raises funds for cancer treatment

Revd Hannah Jeffery, Rector of St Giles Church, Desborough in the Kettering Deanery, has recently completed a London to Paris bike ride to raise money for Daisy, the mother of a member of the congregation at St Giles, who is battling cancer. Daisy is in the UK visiting her daughter Diana, but sadly became unwell during the visit and it is now not feasible for her to return home. The family are committed to raising funds for Daisy's treatment and Revd Hannah’s recent bike ride has raised in excess of of £5,000 towards Daisy’s cancer treatment.

Revd Hannah shares her story below...

"I had signed up to complete the bike ride with the organisation Challenge Central, and they provided a support vehicle to carry all our gear, and two cyclists to lead the way and keep tabs on everyone! We set off from Trafalgar Square at 8.30am on Friday 18 July – 8 of us in the group, and I, at that point knew no-one. It soon transpired that I was the first vicar Challenge Central had ever had join one of their challenges! I felt a little intimidated at the start, being one of only two women, with a good twenty plus years on the majority of the other riders, and with the heaviest and least ‘professional looking’ bike! However, the advance training I’d done saw me through, and other than on the steepest hills I was able to keep up well with the group!  

"The first day, from London to Portsmouth, saw us cycling 90 miles, in extreme heat, and up some seriously steep hills! Keeping sufficiently hydrated was key, and our support driver popped up on the roadside every hour or so, with iced cold water at the ready to top up our supplies. We got to Portsmouth in time for a quick meal before boarding a ferry and appreciating a welcome shower and a few hours of sleep before getting to Caen at 6am French time.  

"Thankfully the temperatures were more manageable on the 2nd day, as were the hills, and it was a pleasant day of rolling French countryside, along mainly smoothly tarmacked roads (what a difference that makes), and the opportunity to do some slipstreaming with each other and help the legs to recover slightly. We passed through some beautiful French villages, but quickly learnt that the villages were all nestled into the bottom of the hills, so after a rest stop in the village, that always meant…..another uphill! The support team were brilliant though and it was an easier day, with a mere 85 miles of riding, before arriving in the town of Evreux for the night, where we found a hotel with comfortable beds awaiting us. Having led slipstreaming for the last hour of the day, I was then rewarded with a welcome pint bought by the young man who had been enjoying the advantage of that as he’d cycled on my tail for the previous 10 miles! By this stage the 8 of us in the group and the 3 support team members had all got to know each other much better, and there was good sense of support and camaraderie between us. A short night the night before and with 170 miles under our belts, tiredness was kicking in, and even the young turned in for an early night! 

"The next day began with breakfast at 7am, and a weather forecast that suggested rain was on the way. As predicted, shortly after we’d set off an hour later, driving rain and a strong headwind greeted us, and we had two very gruelling hours of cycling before finding a coffee shop in which to take shelter and warm up for a while. Despite waterproofs, we were all soaked and cold, and the harsh conditions on top of the tiredness of the previous two days had added to the exhaustion. However, Paris beckoned, and as the day went on, the rain began to clear. It was a day of constant up and downs though, and with the strong headwind, it was an extremely demanding and exhausting day. By mid afternoon though we’d made it to the glorious Palace of Versailles, and that was enough to spur us on for the last hour into the heart of Paris. 

"All in all, it was an amazing experience. It certainly tested my physical and mental resilience, particularly on that final day, but I am so glad to have done it. The training beforehand has meant I’ve spent many, many hours cycling on my days off through beautiful countryside, and I have accrued much less mileage in the car on my parish visits! And what a privilege to have been supported by so many wonderful people, and have the joy of being able to help Daisy pay for her cancer treatment." 

This is such an amazing achievement by Revd Hannah and how wonderful that Daisy has been able to have the treatment she needs.  

Daisy has now completed her chemotherapy, has had major surgery, and is preparing for further treatment post-surgery but she is doing well.