Liverpool man cycles over 100 miles to raise nearly £1,500 for Marie Curie

Halewood local Stuart Leader was unable to take part in the real Prudential Ride London race this year so decided to do something different.

Stuart, age 45, decided instead to do a virtual cycle and raised £1,470 for end of life charity Marie Curie.

He used a virtual cycling platform called Zwift and took on the 107-mile course from home.

Stuart said:

“My father-in-law John Pointon died of cancer back in 2001, and I personally saw the care and unconditional support that Marie Curie gave to him and our family. Even after all this time, Marie Curie is still a cause that is very close to my and my wife Liz’s heart and surrounding families.  Not enough positive things can be said about Marie Curie; they quietly and humbly get on with helping those with a terminal illness and their families.

“I was training to complete the Prudential Ride London in August, however, due to Covid-19, the event was sadly cancelled.  However, Marie Curie are still caring for people, they still need money, so I decided to do something challenging…..and complete the whole 107.5 mile course (with 8,189 feet of elevation) on Zwift.  It’s much tougher than road riding, there’s no respite or freewheeling, a virtual hill is just as hard to ride up.

“It was a brutal day, and certainly not one I’m keen to repeat in a hurry, but the support and well wishes, not to mention the sponsorship from people that were rolling in, spurred me on.

“I stopped for a rest at 45 miles and then again at 75 miles. Between those two stops, I was in a mental darkness and not feeling great; if it hadn’t been for the cause I’d have given up.  Thank you to everyone who sponsored me, wished me well or gave me words of encouragement. It means so much to me.”

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— The Guide Liverpool 🌇 (@TheGuideLpool) September 22, 2020

Ruth Todd, Community Fundraiser for Marie Curie said:

“An enormous thank you from all at Marie Curie to Stuart for your and your family’s on-going support.  This was such a gruelling challenge to undertake and Stuart smashed it!  Our Marie Curie Nurses, doctors and hospice staff are on the frontline, caring for dying people and their loved ones, both with and without coronavirus.

“The Marie Curie Hospice, Liverpool needs to raise £5.2 million every year to continue to run these essential frontline services, yet our ability to generate this money has been seriously compromised by the Coronavirus crisis.”

You can support Marie Curie Hospice by donating online here.