On 20th May we will be setting off on a three day bike ride cycling approx. 350km through three European Cities to raise money for the Spinal Injuries Association, a charity that is close to all our hearts.

In 2003 Gary came off his motorbike in a freak accident which left him completely paralysed from the chest down. After ten days of trying to adjust to this new life he suffered a blood clot which caused complete organ failure. He was ventilated, placed on dialysis and his family sent in to say goodbye to his failing body. Luckily he survived and whist he will never walk again he is an inspiration and one of the reasons we are cycling this challenge.

The SIA offered not just Gary, but his whole family information and advice on how to cope and adapt to this life changing injury. To this day the SIA continue to support those spinally injured, one of the services the charity offers is Peer Support, giving spinal injured people someone to talk to, ask questions and obtain guidance from, and that is someone who has themselves been spinally injured. Gary now works in one of these positions and has seen first hand the benefits of the charity's work in helping people come to terms with a life changing disability.

Over three days we will be cycling 70-120 km per day, arriving in Vienna on Sunday 22nd May. Gary will be doing the distance on a hand cycle, while the rest of us will be on road bikes. Please donate all you can to help us smash our target and help this charity continue to offer the support they currently do

Every Eight Hours Someone is Permanently Paralysed

Julie, Mark, Gary & Chimene x

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