Two Stratford firefighters get saddles blazing
Firefighters Simon Potticary, and his colleague Michael Hewison are cycling to Paris to raise money for Marie Curie cancer charity - Credit: Archant
Saddles will be blazing this April as two Stratford firefighters cycle 300 miles to Paris to raise money for charity.
Firefighters Simon Potticary, and his colleague Michael Hewison are cycling to Paris to raise money for Marie Curie cancer charity - Credit: Archant
Simon Potticary, 31, of Hillhouse Drive and Michael Hewison, 23, of Sranmil Road decided to pedal across the pond for Marie Curie Cancer Care, after loved ones were diagnosed with Cancer in 2012.
Setting off from Crystal Palace on April 23 the first day will see the men blaze a trail of 95 miles, followed by 75, 70 and 60 for the days to follow.
They will be greeted by cheering crowds under the Eiffel Tower four days later, after close family travel to Paris to meet them at the finish line.
Aiming to raise £4000 between them, the firefighters are on target with three months to go after organising successful bowling events, competitions, bingo, darts and raffles.
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Their vigorous training regime has had them cycling up to 40 miles a day at the weekends and hitting the roads two to three times a week.
“I’ve never done anything this big before”, Simon said. “It’s been a big shock to the system and especially difficult on the backside.
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“My boss is very supportive and has given us loads of pointers as he’s taken part in triathlons before. Everyone at the station has been really generous and our friends and family have been amazing.”
Michael said: “We often train as a pair and set each other paces to make sure we stick together. Bonding as a team is crucial and is going to be something that will help get us through.”
You can help raise money for Marie Curie by following the links to Simon and Michael’s donation pages www.justgiving.com/simon-potticary and www.justgiving.com/michael-hewison.
