Twenty-six-year-old Cameron Johnson from Kempston in Bedford is in the final stages of his training as he prepares to saddle up for the all-new RideLondon-Essex 100 challenge at the end of the month (Sunday 29th May).
Cameron first signed up to the cycling event – then called The Prudential Ride London – in 2020 to raise vital funds for Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice in memory of his grandad, but had to put his plans on hold when the pandemic hit.
Two years later and Cameron, who admits to on the whole being a casual fair-weather cyclist, is more ready than ever to face his biggest on road challenge in a bid to support the charity who in his words, “Made my grandad’s final few days as comfortable as possible and provided invaluable support to my family.”
“When it came to the point where my grandad needed more help, it was decided that he wasn’t well enough to be moved to Sue Ryder St John’s Hospice. This didn’t phase the St John’s team though, who said: “No problem, we will bring the hospice to you”. So, at short notice, they brought all the equipment needed to support him, direct to him,” Cameron said.
“Not only did the hospice staff go above and beyond to support my grandad, but they also took huge pressure off our family so we could focus on helping each other through what was a really difficult time for us all. Even after my grandad sadly passed they called to make sure that we knew they were there for us anytime. We could never thank them enough for their kindness and support,” he added.
Taking part in the RideLondon-Essex 100 is something that heating engineer, Cameron, had been keen to do for a while, but losing his grandad gave him the push he needed to take the plunge. “Some of my friends have taken part in the London event and I participated in a shorter charity ride a few years ago with the person who first got me into cycling, but the Ride London is a fair few miles further than I would normally go.”
The 100-mile distance is the longest challenge ride in the RideLondon programme. The brand new route for 2022 will see participants set off from Victoria Embankment in central London and into Essex via the historic Epping Forest to continue their journey around some of the county’s most picturesque towns and villages before heading back into central London to reach the finishing line via Tower Bridge.
“I feel like I need to fit in a bit more training before the day, but I am planning on getting on my bike four to five times a week whilst I can. I have managed a total of 70 miles in one weekend so far. Getting over that finish line is going to be the best feeling – actually managing to do it!”
When Cameron first started fundraising in 2020 back when he originally signed up he had raised an incredible £1120 and Cameron hopes to add to this total. To donate visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Cameron-Johnson6
If Cameron’s story inspires you to saddle up for Sue Ryder visit www.sueryder.org/events to check out the latest cycling events.
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