RAAMIN 4 CHARITY 2016 BRITISH RECORD HOLDERS
In 2016 I was roped into a mad venture by my pal Phil Brown. Phil is one of those sickeningly impressive people who seems to excel at everything whilst having the charm and modesty to make it all seem effortless. Of course - it isn't.
On Christmas Eve 2015 he called me out of the blue and asked if I would be interested in acting as Crew Chief for a four man team he was putting together to compete in the annual cycle race across America known as RAAM.
On Christmas Eve 2015 he called me out of the blue and asked if I would be interested in acting as Crew Chief for a four man team he was putting together to compete in the annual cycle race across America known as RAAM.
Six months later we had recruited 13 volunteers, raised tens of thousands of pounds in sponsorship, largely from the efforts of the rider's partners and Phil's excellent contact book and we were flying out to California . Our task was to compete in the annual 'Race Across America'. A 3,070 mile, non-stop race from Oceanside, California on the Pacific Coast to Annapolis, Maryland on the Atlantic. In between were 170,000 feet of mountain ranges, hundreds of miles of baking hot deserts and great plains and the vastness of the USA.
The riders had a focus. They wanted to win in a British record-breaking time. . The team, a hodge-podge of friends and enthusiasts, were all rookies - as were the riders. Not one of us had done this before. We were all very aware that whilst we couldn't win RAAM, we could very easily screw it up and lose it for the guys. The pressure was on.
The riders had a focus. They wanted to win in a British record-breaking time. . The team, a hodge-podge of friends and enthusiasts, were all rookies - as were the riders. Not one of us had done this before. We were all very aware that whilst we couldn't win RAAM, we could very easily screw it up and lose it for the guys. The pressure was on.
The Shakedown Weekend |
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After just over 6 days, we crossed the finish line in Annapolis numbed by tiredness and smelling like... well, smelling like we'd spent 6 days and nights driving non-stop across America in mid-summer I suppose.
We finished second in the four man class and second overall - setting a new British record. The riders also raised tens of thousands of pounds for the Aplastic Anaemia Trust and Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity.
Not bad for 6 months work and a bunch of rookies. We were sponsored by a whole bunch of generous sponsors !
We finished second in the four man class and second overall - setting a new British record. The riders also raised tens of thousands of pounds for the Aplastic Anaemia Trust and Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity.
Not bad for 6 months work and a bunch of rookies. We were sponsored by a whole bunch of generous sponsors !
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