Endurance® Doors Product Development and Technical employee Gavin Steeper has successfully completed a gruelling 330 mile cycle ride from London to Paris in order to raise almost £4,000 for Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
Inspired by the treatment his niece Ebony received for stage four neuroblastoma (a very aggressive form of childhood cancer) at the age of three Gavin decided that he wanted to contribute something back to the hospital. Following months of training, on Wednesday 22 July Gavin and his partner Clare set of in a group of almost 400 cyclists from Bexleyheath in London.
Over the next four days the pair rode an average of 80 miles a day through hilly terrain, ascending close to 4,000 metres – almost half the height of Mount Everest – along the way. Gavin and Clare found it hard going with seemingly endless roads and hills stretching into the distance but they dug deep into their reserves of endurance and finally entered Paris on Saturday afternoon. As Gavin explained however, that wasn’t quite the end of the challenge.
“As we entered Paris” said Gavin, “one of the organisers started to explain the best way to circumnavigate the infamous Arc De Triomphe roundabout in Paris. He told us just to make a straight line for the centre then to do the same when we saw our exit or traffic coming onto the roundabout would just cut us up”.
Needless to say Gavin and Clare made it around the famous landmark and were able to take a well-earned rest when they reached the finish line at around 5 pm. The next day some of the other riders took the opportunity to watch Chris Froome take his historic Tour de France victory, but Gavin decided against it. “After all that cycling the last thing I wanted to do was watch more – I was busy healing my wounds in the pub!”
All at Endurance® Doors are extremely proud of Gavin’s efforts. Managing Director Stephen Nadin said “we all knew that Gavin would be able to do it and we are extremely pleased to have him back safe and sound. The amount that he has raised for Sheffield Children’s Hospital is absolutely phenomenal and we feel honoured to call him part of our team.”
Find out more about the great work that Sheffield Children’s Hospital do.
At the time of writing Clare and Gavin’s Justgiving page is still taking donations; please click here to contribute.
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