DUNDEE-based cycling novice, Mark Walsh, is facing the challenge of a lifetime: he will tackle a 21-miles uphill ride in the French Alps doing part the Tour de France route on 5 September to raise funds for Epilepsy Scotland.
Mark and his colleague Cathy Padmore aim to reach a £1,000 sponsorship target as they pedal up the Col du Télégraphe and the Col du Galibier in France.
Mark’s employer, Cyberonics, offer staff the chance to help a good cause by doing something out of the ordinary.
Mark explained: “I am very excited to be given this opportunity with colleagues. Still, I have never undertaken anything like this before so I am somewhat nervous about what I am taking on. Apart from cycling to the park with the kids or riding to Broughty Ferry for an ice cream, I have been training for about six weeks. This is one of the hardest cycling routes in France. We have an added difficulty that as we reach the mountain peaks the air becomes very thin, but we are determined to succeed.”
Around 25 employees have accepted the medical device company’s challenge and will run or cycle in events for charities close to their hearts across the world. Mark and Cathy both said: “We recognise the work Epilepsy Scotland does, and we wish to help them make a difference. It makes sense to support the epilepsy charity which supports the people of Scotland.”
Last year, Cathy Padmore cycled Mont Ventoux and raised over £1,000 for Epilepsy Ireland.
Mark, who lives in Monifieth, said: “People with epilepsy are at the core of everything we do in Cyberonics. We provide solutions for the most challenging epilepsy, and we recognise that the implications of epilepsy to the person, and those around them, are numerous and varied. The work of epilepsy charities to improve peoples’ lives through appropriate, individual support is essential, and such charities can only provide this if they can receive sufficient funding.”
Visit their Just Giving page for details: https://www.justgiving.com/CathyandMark/
ENDS
Notes to Editor
1. Photos are available of Mark Walsh or Cathy Padmore with their bicycles. For more information or to interview Mark or Cathy please call: Fundraiser Sarah Nottingham or Public Affairs Officer Allana Parker on 0141 427 4911.
2. Epilepsy Scotland works with people living with epilepsy to ensure that their voice is heard. We campaign for improved healthcare, better information provision and an end to stigma. This common serious neurological condition affects one in 97 people. We represent 54,000 people with epilepsy, their families and carers living in Scotland. Our freephone Helpline (0808 800 2200) offers support and information, text 07786 209501, email: enquiries@epilepsyscotland.org.uk, find us on facebook, twitter @epilepsy_scot or visit: http://www.epilepsyscotland.org.uk
3. The Col du Télégraphe and the Col du Galibier route is frequently used in the Tour De France and is a challenge for even the most experienced cyclists. The route is long and steep, with an average incline of 5.5 per cent and has an added difficulty of being above 2,000 metres in the last stage.
MEDIA RELEASE issued by Epilepsy Scotland. You too can post your story ideas for journalists (aka Press or media releases), on allmediascotland.com. Email info@allmediascotland.com for more information.
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Contact: Sarah Nottingham
Phone: 01414274911
Email: snottingham@epilepsyscotland.org.uk
Website: http://www.epilepsyscotland.org.uk
