What made Simon want to start raising money for Macmillan?
Simon was inspired to take up his cycling challenges in honour of his Aunty – Reverend Ruth Scott – who died from a rare form of cancer, T-cell lymphoma.
Simon had a very close relationship with his Aunty, who led a remarkable life in conflict management, working in Afghanistan, Egypt and Syria, and also hosted the BBC Radio 2 Show ‘Pause for Thought’ alongside Sir Terry Wogan and Chris Evans.
Simon says: “We were very close. She was my second mum in many ways and she was an incredible lady. She was a vicar and a clown (like at the circus not just in general!). She did daft things on a bike. She rode from Rome to Jerusalem with very little training, it took her three weeks across several mountain ranges and 2,500 miles. She had the strength of character that, even if her body was broken, her strength of mind would see her complete it. She got over the mountains when more experienced cyclists didn’t.”
Simon’s Aunty Ruth died in February 2019, around the time Simon was getting into cycling.
Have you raised money before? If so, what other events or activities have you done?
Having partaken in a 95 mile ‘Sportive’ in Harrogate – raising £2,000 for local charity Leeds CaresNHS Trust – Simon set out to specifically honour his Aunty Ruth with his first big cycling challenge, and to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support in a 24-hour cycling challenge.
Simon said, “I realised that getting out on the bike doing some miles helped incredibly with dealing with the grief of losing Ruth and all the grief that had been stored up from cousins and my uncle that had also had cancer.
“I thought ‘What can I do to keep the motivation going?’ to keep me on the bike and keep training. I wanted to do another fundraiser and this ride is inspired by Ruth but it’s about supporting all those individuals who have been affected by cancer. Speaking to my cousin and my uncle, my Aunty who survived my Uncle that died, and my Uncle Chris (Ruth’s husband) they all got a massive amount of support from Macmillan whilst dealing with the cancer and since, so it became the obvious choice to raise money for Macmillan.”
“We had a very silly, giggly, loving and supportive relationship. In many ways, Macmillan were able to deliver that for her but also the people around her.”
I realised that getting out on the bike doing some miles helped incredibly with dealing with the grief of losing Ruth
What’s the best thing about being part of Team Macmillan?
"Without doubt, the people. Everyone who I have interacted with, from Mairead (our Macmillan Nurse) to Michaela and Fiona in my fundraising team, and everyone in between, have been incredible.
Supportive, kind, encouraging, devoted, passionate and amazing sources of joy and positivity, they have all left their mark and this experience will never be forgotten."
Tell us about the day of your event. What happened? How did you feel?
"The day? This was a trial that lasted weeks. The day before the event started, I travelled up to Scotland with my support team. It was a lovely, bright dry day, ideal conditions for cycling. Unfortunately, the next day, the day I started, it rained hard for 8hrs, and the wind was now coming from the south, meaning a strong headwind for most of the ride. The first 12hrs went well, but the wind took its toll and I had to push hard to stay on schedule, which meant I was using significantly more calories than I could consume.
Inevitably, I bonked (hit the wall), hard. But I kept peddling, kept the legs spinning and kept ticking off those kilometres, but my heart had stopped responding to effort and I was blacking out at the top of each hill, waking up 300m down the road, still pedalling. I got to the halfway point in 26hrs, 2.5hrs later than scheduled and it was there that my support team and I decided, for safety reasons, to pause the challenge.
I was devastated.
For the next 3 weeks, strong winds from the south prevented any attempt at finishing the ride, but eventually a weather window appeared and we went back to the halfway point with the goal of completing the ride in 22hrs, so the total ride time would still be less than 48hrs.
I set off, sun shining, but the clouds closed in and it rained for 3hrs leaving me to contend with more flooded roads and spray. But at least there was no head wind. The ride went well, and everything went to plan, and even when my support team almost knocked me off my bike, and I developed very painful pressure sores on both feet, the ride still went well. I reached the finish line at Winchester Cathedral in 48hrs 13mins. Exhausted. Delighted. Relieved."
Have the right people around you, supporting and encouraging you in your training, fundraising and at the event itself
What top three tips do you have to anyone who’s trying to raise money for the first time?
"a) Where possible, create a challenge with a strong emotional attachment. This ride was from Ashes to Ashes, my first challenge finished at the hospital where my Aunty was treated, and died. Having this emotional link creates a much stronger level of motivation that will keep you moving when all else fails. It also makes for a more compelling story, which will make it easier for you to hit your fundraising target.
b) Have the right people around you, supporting and encouraging you in your training, fundraising and at the event itself. Laughing and joking when you can barely walk does wonders for the mind.
c) Plan your event inside out, think of every scenario, but then have the strength to be flexible and react to the conditions on the day. There will always be something that won’t go as planned. How you react to it can make or break your challenge.
and d) I know I’m only supposed to give 3, but this is the most important), have fun. Enjoy yourself. Make memories that put a big smile on your face every time you think about it."
What advice do you have for anyone who wants to take up (running / cycling / swimming etc)?
"Be kind, have fun and start small. My first bike rides, back in 2019, were 5 miles long and exhausting. In 8 months I did my first 100mls, in 2021 I did a 280ml ride and I’ve just completed a 622ml challenge. But I couldn’t have completed these big rides if I hadn’t started small."
Do you have any future plans to support Macmillan?
"My wifes' and Mum’s nerves have had enough of my challenges, so I am now exploring other ways to support Macmillan, such as helping other fundraisers and engaging with Macmillan through my work."