Tower to tower trek

Ryan Greenhalgh, Gavin Richardson, both 23, and 22-year-old Robert Leigh cycled 450 miles from Blackpool Tower to the Eiffel Tower in aid of Derian House.

The trio have raised a staggering £2,600 and are hoping to reach £3,000.

Ryan said: “I used to live in Astley Village and Derian House was opened the same year I was born. I moved to Horwich when I was one but my family and I have always supported Derian House. It is a fantastic local charity that provides vital care and support for sick children. We’re hoping to help the hospice out a and raise some much needed money to help them carry on delivering the exceptional care it provides.

“It was quite a daunting challenge especially when we first set off from Blackpool and reality set in that we were aiming to cycle 450 miles in a week but we all just kept plugging away at it and supported each other.

“There were some hard times with the weather and how far we thought we’d cycled, it’s quite disheartening when you think you’ve cycled 30 to 40 miles and the reality is you’ve only done 20.

“The weather was quite a challenge some days, as we were soaked through and had to take an overnight ferry with nowhere to dry out ourselves and our wet gear.

“On top of this when we landed in France we still had another 60 miles to go to reach our accommodation for that night and it rained for the majority of the time.

“The last day was a surreal experience. As much as we wanted to complete the challenge, we didn’t want it to end. We’d all had such a laugh and really enjoyed it.

“When we first set eyes on the Eiffel Tower from about eight miles away we were all euphoric that we’d nearly done it and when we rolled up underneath it we all had a moment to let it sink in.

“It was a totally worthwhile experience despite the aches and pains.”

To sponsor the three men, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Gavin-Richardson3?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=fundraisingpage&utm_content=Gavin-Richardson3&utm_campaign=pfp-share