Four life-long friends have completed 309 miles cycling from London to Paris raising an incredible £21,000 for Strathcarron Hospice in memory of loved ones.
Siblings Elaine Blackwood and Paul Valentine, alongside Lorna Muirhead and Jamie McWilliam, joined more than 100 cyclists on the European challenge. The friends are now encouraging others to take on their own fundraiser for Strathcarron to give something back and help people in need in their local community.
The event, which was hosted by Global Adventures Challenge, saw the cyclists spend four days in the saddle, setting off from London, before crossing the English Channel to Calais.
Once in France, they cycled through the French countryside, through traditional market towns with views of the rolling green hills of Northern France, passing the war memorials and cemeteries of the Somme.
Elaine and Lorna were inspired to take on the challenge to mark their 50th birthdays after completing the Sahara Desert Trek together for Strathcarron in November 2023 in memory of loved ones.
Elaine and Paul chose to fundraise for the hospice after their dad Terry died at Strathcarron in 2012 after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.
Elaine, who works as an Advanced Nurse Practitioner for the Whins Medical Practice in Alloa and NHS Forth Valley, said: “The care the Strathcarron staff provided for our dad was exceptional. I felt I needed to give something back. I absolutely loved the Sahara Trek experience so decided to try something a bit different and managed to coerce Jamie and Paul into joining me and Lorna in this one!
“The cycle from London to Paris was one of the hardest things I have ever done, but it was worth it. I loved the trip! There were lots of laughs along the way. We met some wonderful new friends and made memories for life.
“I got to spend time with best friends and my brother, making memories to last a lifetime, and we managed to raise an overwhelming amount of money for the hospice all thanks to the generosity of so many people, family, friends and businesses.
“We will always be thankful for the care dad received during his several admissions to the hospice. He was initially very reluctant to be admitted, but within hours, you could see a weight had been lifted from him and he felt safe. That was all we could have hoped for during that time, and we will be eternally grateful.“
