Richard's ride brings cash boost
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Richard Johnston is doing a thousand mile cycle from Land's End to John O' Groats for charity.
A MORAY distillery worker is aiming to pedal a stamina-sapping thousand miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats in just nine days to raise cash for charity.
Richard Johnston (37) wanted to combine his passion for road cycling with fundraising for a good cause, so he signed up to take part in this month’s UK END2END event.
The 1,000-mile challenge, which begins on May 21, raises money for Action Medical Research, a children’s charity dedicated to improving the health of babies and children in the UK.
To complete the task Mr Johnston, a warehouseman at Moray’s Glenrothes distillery, will need to cycle more than 100 miles a day and be in the saddle for between six and eight hours each day.
“I’ve been cycling for nearly five years now, and Land’s End to John O’Groats was something I had always fancied doing,” he said. “It’s a fair distance but it’s given me a goal to aim for and I’m looking forward to it.”
He is keen to raise more than £2,000 for Action Medical Research over the coming weeks. The charity has been behind medical breakthroughs such as the UK polio vaccine, ultrasound scanning in pregnancy, and more recently a fetal heart rate monitor which could end up helping to save thousands of at-risk babies.
The cycle event also supports the Touching Tiny Lives appeal, which raises funds to help reduce premature birth and improve care of sick and vulnerable babies.
Mr Johnston’s employers Edrington Distillers have pledged to ‘double double’ the amount of cash raised through their connection with The Robertson Trust, an independent grant-making body which supports charities whose work takes place in, or has an impact on Scotland.
“That means they have opted to treble my final total, and I would like to thank them for that, along with those who have sponsored me so far,” he said.
Cycling the 20 miles from his Elgin home to Glenrothes distillery and back each day has served a training purpose for Mr Johnston, who also completed the 85 mile journey from Embo to Elgin on a recent jaunt.
Mr Johnston is the only Moray cyclist among 140 taking part in the END2END challenge. To make a donation, visitvwww.action.org.uk
