Hertford man, Martyn Jones, plans to ride the gruelling route of the Tour de France, just three days before the event, to raise money for the BHF and the Association of Young People with ME (AYME).
Martyn has first hand experience of both diseases as he was diagnosed with ME in his late-teens and lost both grandparents to heart disease. Fortunately, at 34, Martin is now well over his ME and it was cycling that got him fit again.
“I wanted to donate half of the money I raise to a charity that promotes sport and especially my passion – cycling. The BHF do so many fantastic rides including London to Brighton, Oxford to Cambridge and the Norwich Ride, so they were an obvious choice. Plus both my grandparents died of heart disease.”
Esther Rantzen also has experience of both diseases: “The impact of ME on young people is especially damaging because it hits them at a crucial stage of their lives. My late husband, Des Wilcox, died far too young, aged 69, from heart disease, so both these charities are very near to my own heart.”
Martyn does six hours a day of hard cycling in perparation for the 3,500km endurance event. “It will be three weeks of mind-numbing distance riding in the toughest terrain in Europe, but I’m up for the challenge.”
Martyn is paying for the event out of his own savings and hopes to raise £30,000 to split between both charities.
Support Martyn at his Just Giving page and help the BHF fight heart disease, the UK’s single biggest killer, and help the AYME support young people with ME.
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