A fire officer cycled more than 100 miles overnight in memory of colleagues.
Station manager Jamie Cox from West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service took on the challenge across the South Downs Way.
He set off from Winchester Fire Station at 5pm on Saturday, July 6, and arrived at his destination in Eastbourne at 10.22am the following morning. He was on the move for a total of 12 hours and 31 minutes.
Jamie said: “The temperature was perfect at the beginning of the journey which saw us make great progress early on, but from Firle Beacon the weather took a turn for the worse and we cycled through the morning with driving wind and rain from the coast hitting our faces. This caused the tiredness to kick in, but thankfully sweets and energy gels were on hand.
“We saw the most amazing sunrise and I am so glad we sacrificed some longer breaks to get the best view of the sunrise in Hassocks.
“I also saw some incredible wildlife throughout the gruelling journey. Badgers, deer, rabbits, dormice, frogs and barn owls all came out to say hello.”
To find out more about the challenge visit: https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/news/fire-officer-takes-on-100-mile-bike-ride-in-memory-of-colleagues/
So far Jamie has raised over £1,600 for The Fire Fighters Charity in memory of two well-loved colleagues, Mark Butler who lost his battle with leukaemia and Simon Constable who died having suffered a stroke in 2019.
The donation page will be open until the end of the month, should you wish to donate.
Jamie added: “I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who came to meet us at the end, particularly the families of Simon Constable and Mark Butler – two sorely missed colleagues whose legacies we were honouring with this challenge.
“A final thank you goes to everyone that sent messages of support, shared stories and gave donations. The Fire Fighters Charity do incredible work to keep firefighters and their families happy and healthy, as I was able to experience when I used their services last year. I am so glad that I have been able to raise much needed donations for such an important charity.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here