A team of Irish, English and Welsh cyclists rode 215 miles in just three days to raise money for Winston’s Wish in memory of their friend who died by suicide last year.
In what has become an annual ‘Ride2Rugby’ charity ride, the team are set off from Cheltenham on Wednesday 5th February, cycled through Snowdonia and arrived in Holyhead in time to catch a Friday afternoon ferry to Dublin. The reward at the end of the tough ride was the Ireland v Wales Six Nations match at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on the Saturday. Kelan, who has been taking part in the ride since 2016, explained why this year’s ride is particularly poignant.
Why did you decide to take on this challenge?
We first cycled from the Principality Stadium in Cardiff to the Aviva Stadium in Dublin back in 2016 and it has become an annual challenge, raising money for charity. The lure is a Six Nations match in Dublin at the end of the ride – this year Ireland v Wales on Saturday 8th February.
Why did you decide to support Winston’s Wish?
This year’s ride is very personal and poignant, not only to me but several of my teammates. A great friend of ours, Neil, died by suicide on 2nd February 2019, just after we had completed our last ride. Neil made such a positive and lasting impact on everyone he encountered and is deeply missed. This year’s ride is in Neil’s honour. Winston’s Wish are providing crucial support to Neil’s wife and two children, and so there was only one possible choice for our chosen charity this year.
What are you most looking forward to about the challenge?
Day two, cycling through Snowdonia is always a highlight. It is always stunningly beautiful whatever the weather. But overall, it will be five days with a great crew, a big match at the end and meeting family and friends when we arrive in Dublin – there’s a lot to look forward to.
What do you think will be most difficult?
The second day is always difficult! We tend to overindulge having completed the first day – we never learn! Then it’s a long day, ascending climb after climb with relentless hangovers. The other big difficulty, aside from the cycling, is raising funds and encouraging people that all donations are greatly appreciated.