Four Brean holiday park employees who work at Holiday Resort Unity have completed a challenge to raise money for Bristol charity Above & Beyond.
The team took part in the 480km cycle trip from Bristol to Paris alongside 50 riders and completed the whole challenge in four days before enjoying the sights of Paris and returning by Eurostar.
Sarah, Kieran, Ali & Dave say they are “delighted” to have raised over £8,000 for Above & Beyond, which supports eight hospitals across Bristol. In total over £100,000 was raised by the group of 50 people.
Here is their account of how the event unfolded…
Day 1: A wet start to the ride from Bristol
“The day started with slight drizzle at our meet point Ashton Court. After registering and sorting bags, a group photo made the reality kick in of what we were about to do.”
“We headed off over a misty Clifton suspension bridge heading into the city to the BRI to be greeted by dozens of well-wishers. A slow city ride and then out onto the cycle path towards Bath. After lunch, the weather took a turn for the worse with rain non-stop to Sailsbury. Busy roads a fly-by post Stonehedge before reaching our final destination. We lost Ali and Dave for a short while due to a puncture but met up with them at the break. Another big day tomorrow as we head to Portsmouth and the ferry. Please can we have some nice weather?”
Day 2: A hilly ride from Salisbury to Portsmouth
“Although the distance was shorter today, the hills were prominent the whole way. The legs were already tired and pretty much done before lunch. Activity levels then peaked and we were rewarded with the sight of the sea before a crazy downhill and city negotiation to the port.”
“The ferry awaits, setting sail at midnight, and a very early start as we head to the biggest day of 140km!”
Day 3 – Cycling along 140km of France in a day
“The ferry overnight was a little bumpy with not a lot of sleep had. The weather app said a cloudy day lay ahead which was a complete load of rubbish as it turned out to be persistent drizzle which lasted until 4.30pm! The hills of the day before were a distant memory as we climbed several cols, enjoying the brief downhill moments. A change of clothes at lunchtime at 3pm, yes 3pm! There was a brief improvement, but there was still a distance of 50km to be covered. The villages are very sleepy, the roads are in good condition with lots of painted water towers. The sign for the hotel was a welcome sight after over eight hours in the saddle and, as you can imagine, lots of sore body parts! Still 100km remains to get to Paris.”
Day 4 – Celebrations as they reach Paris
“We were on our bikes for 8am and off just before 7pm. It was an epic day with a clear blue sky overhead and rolling countryside, arriving in the outskirts just after lunch. With the temperature on the rise, sun cream was needed for the first time and added to the challenge against very tired bodies and the final few miles. The first view of the Eiffel Tower came into sight as we navigated our way around the tower to our finishing point.”
“A glass of champagne was truly deserved by all. A fantastic effort by everyone who took part. The total by all the fundraisers was over £100,000. We met some wonderful people, all with different reasons as to why they took part. Very inspirational and an experience that will be cherished for a long time.”
“Thank you to everyone that has made a donation – they can still be made online here: https://b2p2019.everydayhero.com/uk/team-brean.”
Above & Beyond raise funds for Bristol city centre’s nine hospitals, including the BRI Children’s Hospital.
