A Southport man has completed the London to Paris Bike Ride to raise vital funds for Epilepsy Action, the UK’s largest member-led epilepsy charity.
Darren Smith, age 26, departed London on 30 June to show support for his father, who has epilepsy. His challenge included a 300-mile bike ride, which he completed in four days. His total elevation rate was half the height of Mount Everest at 13,458 ft and he rode in temperatures of 42 degrees celsius. He returned to Southport on Sunday 4 July.
Darren said: “I wanted to support Epilepsy Action because my father has been campaigning for an adult epilepsy specialist nurse where he lives in Stockport for a long time. However, people don’t seem to understand the difference a specialist nurse can make to a person’s quality of life. I wanted to support his campaign by raising awareness of epilepsy, while setting a personal goal for myself. I have never cycled for so long before! It was certainly a challenge. I am exhausted, but ecstatic to have finished the ride and be home in one piece.”
Darren hopes to raise £2,000 to help support the 456,000 people living with epilepsy in the UK. To show your support for Darren, and Epilepsy Action, please visit www.justgiving.com/darren-smith2 and donate online. The money raised by Darren will help fund the vital advice and information services provided by Epilepsy Action.
Epilepsy Action has a huge variety of fundraising events suitable for all ages and abilities. The events can be a fun and exciting challenge with the added bonus of making a difference to the lives of people with epilepsy. To find out more visit www.epilepsy.org.uk/involved
Epilepsy Action celebrates its sixtieth anniversary this year. The charity directly helps more than 688,000 people every year through a range of services including its advice and information service, branch network, Epilepsy Helpline freephone 0808 800 5050 and award-winning website, www.epilepsy.org.uk