Wigan practice shows pedal power to raise money

A team from South Wigan Medical Practice is celebrating after completing the 100km Manchester to Blackpool charity cycle challenge, raising money for their local hospice.

What started out as just an idea, quickly became reality when they signed up for the gruelling ride. The team of five, which is made up of GPs and a practice nurse, had varying degrees of bike experience - from one who had already done a charity ride to another who had never ridden on roads. But once they’d committed, they all started training building up their distances over a few weeks.

Adam Jolles, GP at South Wigan Medical Practice, said: “On the day, it was a very well organised event with lots of support, bike mechanics and crowds to cheer us along the way. For us, there was a bit of a slump between 70km and 95km, where it was hard to keep going as it was hard on our legs and backsides. We were a group with mixed experiences but we cycled the 100km altogether, supporting each other all the way!

“Although we were tired and relieved to make it to the end, we felt incredibly proud as a team to complete the charity ride, knowing we had raised almost £2400 for Wigan and Leigh hospice. Strangely we’ve started talking about next year and joining the ride again.”

Getting on your bike is a great way to keep active and is also good for your mental health. You can find more tips on keeping well on the NHS Greater Manchester website.