Gruelling challenge worth the pain to raise much-needed funds for MND research for Black Country couple

A Black Country couple are set to take on a gruelling cycling challenge to raise funds for a charity very close to home.

Claire O'Kane and Matt Price will be cycling the length of mainland Britain from Land’s End in Cornwall to John O’Groats at the very top of Scotland over just five days, averaging around 180 miles a day over 900 miles.

The couple, who live in Sedgley, are taking on the massive challenge, which starts on Sunday, August 2, to raise funds for the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association, a cause Claire said was very close to her because of her mother Chrissie having the disease.

She said: “My mum was diagnosed in September last year with ALS, a version of MND, so myself and my partner felt we needed to do something ambitious and set a target to not only have something positive to focus on, but also to give back to.

“In 10 months, my mum has lost her ability to walk and it’s affected her swallowing and breathing and it’s just about the impact that the condition has on people who are living with it.

“At this stage, the life expectancy is three to five years after diagnosis, so what we’re putting ourselves through is nothing compared to what people who are living with it are going through.”

Ms O’Kane said she had planned it with a group called Audax UK, a long-distance cycling club, and planned to do it in five days, rather than the 14 that she said most people will do a bike ride in.

In terms of the route, she said the first day would see them aim to arrive south of Bristol then, on Monday, travel to Manchester and, on Tuesday, cross the border into Scotland and arrive at Peebles.

The fourth day would see a ride through the Highlands to Inverness, then up the North Sea coast road to John O’Groats on the final day.

Ms O’Kane said the work done by Sir Kevin Sinfield around MND awareness had been invaluable for teaching people about the disease and said her mum was excited to see her taking on the challenge.

She said: “What Kevin Sinfield has done is bring it into people’s consciousness and raise awareness and it raises the hope that, one day, we’ll be able to find a cure.

“Mum sent us a lovely video that she recorded, just wishing us good luck and saying how proud she was of what we’re doing, which was just wonderful.

“She has faced this with tremendous grace and has set up her own support group to help people and families affected by MND and she said that she knew we couldn’t take on a normal challenge and it had to be something which was extreme, so she’ll be in our thoughts.”

To find out more and to make a donation, go to Claire O’Kane’s Just Giving page.