It has been a while since an article from the Club was posted, so some of the significant news is from a few months ago, but it is worth the wait.
We start with more recent events, 3 members of the club took part in a 100km fundraising ride for the Children’s Adventure Farm Trust (CAFT). This charity has been supported by the Club many times in the past few years, so it was good to turn out for what has now become an annual event for the Club. All the Congleton club riders took part in the longer ride out option, through Delamere Forest. The Santa suits were picked up from CAFT HQ at Millington and worn for the last few miles of the ride back into the finish at Altrincham Football Club’s stadium. The donning of the Santa suits proved to be quite a spectacle, as 200 hundred cycling Santas received toots from cars and waves from well-wishers. In total £6632 was raised by all participants.
Continuing the Charity theme, the Club would like to reflect on an epic adventure by Stephanie Cooke, that was completed at the start of September. Stephanie set off from Istanbul and meandered throughout Europe, covering 4725km on her bike. She raised £1863 for Marie Curie whilst doing so. For the reason why she took on such a major life event, she explains that “All of us face multiple challenges in our lives. We face them, we struggle, we fall and we get up again. At the end of life, and near the end, I want Marie Curie to be there for me, and for you and your families.”
Stephanie certainly lives up to her own philosophy, she took 19 weeks to complete the journey, though of these only 13 were cycling. The other 6 weeks were spent performing various jobs to ingratiate into and learn and live with the local cultures she met on the route home. With regards to the cycling, Stephanie travelled through Ukraine, Transylvania and onto the countries of North Western Europe. Stephanie will be regaling tales of her voyage in greater detail, at a soon to be arranged event at the Rugby Club, so one for the diary. The Club has nothing but the highest respect for the courage and perseverance exhibited by Stephanie. As us cyclists say, chapeau.
