FHSC Clinical physiologist student Kate Sanders recently completed a marathon bike trek from London to Paris. Kate raised nearly £1600 for the Cardiomyopathy Association charity. She chose this charity due to seeing a lot of patients through her training as a Cardiac Physiologist with the disease. The disease really affects people's lives and they need the support such that the charity offers. Kate raised enough money to fund a whole information day for affected families.

Kate comments:
"I cycled from London to Paris! I had an fantastic ride, I'd trained well and was able to enjoy it; although of course I had tired moments. But alongside the tired moments were a lot of amazing moments! I met a lot of very determined people from all walks of life, raising money for different causes that they care about. We were a group of 120, and while over the miles we naturally spread out a lot, we all also looked out for each other, cheered each other on up the hills, hugged and even shared a few tears at the end"

"Our first day was the longest, cycling 94 miles from London to Dover in time to catch the ferry at 16.30. That was a tough day to have the time constraint, and it was very hot! But I was delighted to make it in around the top third of the group - and I don't have a proper racing bike!

The next day we woke up in Calais to find the hottest day of the year dawning - it measured up to 38 degrees that afternoon. Luckily we only had 74 miles to do and all day to do it in, so we were able to stop at some lovely village cafes to keep our fluids up! Vive la France!

The next day and a half were really much of the same - some good hills to stop us getting too comfy in the saddle! Then finally at lunch time on day 4 we hit the outskirts of Paris. It took 2 hours to make our way through the traffic to our group meeting point 4 miles from the Eiffel Tower - then the fun really started!

As a proper group with a van in front and behind, we filled the road, blocked the traffic, and cycled together to the Eiffel Tower, cheering and ringing our bells all the way round the Arc de Triomphe and down the Champs Elysees. Luckily the french like cycling and actually clapped us on and beeped their horns quite happily! It was an amazing end and gave me goose bumps!"

Go back to the index page