John took inspiration to do this year’s charity bike ride from Chris, whom he watched in Paris complete the same journey for this special cause back in 2014. There was a deeply personal reason for John to get on his bike and take to the road, as John and Chris’s sister Gill was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in August 2013.
The journey itself had many ups and downs, and despite the tough going John said it was the most rewarding thing he has ever done, feeling exhausted, emotional and elated all at the same time once the ride was over. The best part of the charity event was to be greeted by Gill at the finish line in Paris, who following a successful stem cell transplant is now well on the road to recovery, thanks to work carried out by charities such as Bloodwise.
John’s efforts personally raised over £3000, as a team they raised £14,000 and the entire event raised over half a million pounds for Bloodwise - a fantastic result. If you would like to donate, please do so via www.bloodwise.org.uk/fundraising/chris-john-london-paris-2015