On Saturday 26 April, Carrie Thould, who is blind, will cycle 14.5 miles virtually from her home in Dursley to Gloucester Cathedral, to raise funds for Cancer Research UK.
Carrie lost her brother in October 2020, and her mother in May 2022 to cancer. Her close friend also battled cancer but recovered.
“I am doing this challenge because I lost my brother and mum to cancer,” Carrie said. “I feel I have to do something to help beat cancer and honour their memory.”
Carrie will complete the challenge using a Cubie bike, with a friend tracking her mileage through a smart watch. She has been training daily, and can now complete the distance in under 2 and a half hours.
“My training has been going well. I train every day, anywhere from 30 minutes to the full 2-3 hours,” she said. “The hardest part of the challenge isn’t the cycling – it will be making sure everything runs smoothly on the day.”
The event, taking place at Springfields Court Hub, will feature a virtual visualisation of her route, and there will be a tombola and teas and coffees.
She said: “My friends from the church are going to help to set up and organise the day, moving tables and serving drinks. They have also been helping with my training. The church has been so supportive, they helped me after my brother and mum passed away, and now they’re helping with this challenge.
“It was really difficult when my brother died. He was only 59, and he died a week after he was diagnosed. I couldn’t pray at first. But over time, my faith helped me through. When my mum died, my faith helped me more, as she had faith too.
“I hope God will be pleased that I’m doing this to help others. My faith has been a great source of strength for me through everything and I would really encourage people to reach out to their local church in times of grief as they were so kind to me.”
The Revd Catherine Coomber of St George’s Cam said: “It’s a great way to raise money and show love for others. Carrie has been really brave, she has organised the whole challenge and has brought together a team of people to support her. Sometimes God puts challenges in front of us, and it can be daunting, but Carrie is stepping forward with courage.”
Carrie said: “If anyone feels inspired to do something like this, they should go for it. Cancer is so prevalent these days – we really want to beat it, and raising money helps.”
If you would like to sponsor Carrie for the event, you can visit her JustGiving page here.
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