Cycle London to Brighton with Family Fund!
The morning of 11 September 2022 was cold and foggy, as team Simply Spinners (Matt, James, Mark, Francisco and Mirek) prepared for an early start, making their way to Clapham Common to begin the iconic 55-mile cycle ride from London to Brighton.
We caught up with Matt Kurlinkus to find out more:
Why did you challenge yourself for Family Fund?
“My family have been supported by Family Fund so we wanted to give back. My son Jacob is completely blind, he is severely autistic and non-verbal, and has short-range mobility and severe learning difficulties. Thanks to a grant from Family Fund, we were able to take Jacob on his first holiday, which was fantastic! It was a great experience for him and great to be able to spend the time together, as a family. Jacob is doing well and is 18 now. We’re hoping his next step will be going to a specialist college, which we’re in the process of applying to.
“I do personal training and a group from one of the spin classes I run wanted to do a challenge as a team to fundraise for a charity that has helped my family in the past. My mind went straight to Family Fund. You’ve helped us out a lot in the past so it was great to be able to give something back.”
How was the preparation?
“The spin classes were a great way of training for the team. We did a couple of rides out and about too, to get used to riding on the road and with other people.”
How was the ride?
“There were a few more hills than I thought! It was an epic 55 miles with definitely more up-hills than downhills. There was one part which was especially brutal. A mile-long hill up to Ditchling Beacon, a 45-degree angle all the way up. We all struggled with that but there were great views from the top. It was foggy in the morning but the sun broke through and we had a great day for the rest of the ride.”
Crossing the finish line at Brighton seafront
“It was such a sense of achievement. I set myself a personal goal of completing the ride in four hours, and managed to complete it in three hours, twenty-five minutes. All the team did amazing, everyone completed the ride and no one surpassed five hours, which is incredible.
“My family were really proud and watching the donations going up and up was an amazing feeling. I really can’t thank everyone enough. Simply Gym Cheltenham sponsored our entry fee and the support for the whole team has been phenomenal. We’ve raised over £2,300 now!”
Thank you Matt and team!
We’re so grateful to Matt and the whole ‘Simply Spinners’ team for taking part in the London to Brighton Cycle Ride 2022. We can’t thank you enough for all of your support and raising a fantastic amount for Family Fund!
Follow Matt here: @maximum_ptandnutrition
