Kent Sport staff member Lesley Parker set off on Saturday morning with her husband Andy and good friends Lizzie and Martin, on an epic cycle ride of 1,125K (700 miles) through France. The adventure\u00a0started in\u00a0Bishopsbourne and will end in\u00a0Bagneres de Luchon in the Pyrenees.\u00a0The idea was hatched one evening in their local pub the Mermaid over a pint or two, when one of them suggested \u2018Why don\u2019t we cycle from the Merm to Billy\u2019s Bar\u2019.\u00a0 This is a local bar in Luchon – many a Tour de France has been watched from there.<\/p>\n
Lesley has trained hard by cycling to work along with a few gym sessions and a lot of encouragement from her colleagues and friends.\u00a0 She has chosen the Pilgrims Hospice as her charity and just hopes she can keep up with the other three \u2026. Kent Sport wishes\u00a0her luck.<\/p>\n
Andy Parker would like it known that his only\u00a0cycling experience to date was gained\u00a0on his paper round which he believes\u00a0he stopped when he was 14.\u00a0So having rediscovered cycling over\u00a040 years later, mainly as a result of\u00a0a strange fascination in the Tour de\u00a0France, the whole idea of cycling from\u00a0Bishopsbourne to Bagneres de Luchon in the French Pyrenees is, in his\u00a0opinion, \u201cbordering on madness\u201d.\u00a0Lizzie has always admired people achieving exceptional personal goals and believes\u00a0that being active and healthy should form a part of everyone\u2019s lifestyle. Martin has for many years been enthralled with cycling\u00a0and\u00a0the desire to achieve a formidable sporting challenge remains at the forefront of his dream.<\/p>\n
Lesley says of her chosen charity, “I have personally seen the excellent care and support that the Canterbury Hospice provides for family members and friends.\u00a0I recently took part in the annual cycle ride for the hospice which was supported by Kent Sport where I work.\u00a0It is for these reasons that I am determined to complete the journey from Bishopsbourne, through France to Bagneres de Luchon in the Pyrenees with my husband (Andy) and two friends (Lizzie and\u00a0Martin).\u00a0The vision for hospice care is that everyone in east Kent should have access to service so they can cope with life-limiting illness with dignity and free form pain.\u00a0Pilgrims Hospices has been providing end of life care and support for patients and their families across east Kent for more than 30 years.”<\/p>\n
To support Lesley in her epic ride and fundraising efforts for Pilgrims Hospices you can visit her JustGiving page\u00a0www.justgiving.com\/fundraising\/lesley-parker2. To find out more about the team and their route\u00a0visit\u00a0their website<\/a> and Facebook page\u00a0(@BBsquadracorse)\u00a0for updates.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"