A former Bingley Grammar School pupil is preparing to cycle 1,200 miles on a second-hand, 30-year-old bike to raise money for a Bradford cancer charity.
Jonathan Green, who grew up in Wilsden and now lives in Cambridge, will set off from Lands End in Cornwall on Thursday morning and hopes to reach John O’Groats in Scotland in less than two weeks.
He will carry with him a tent and all the necessary equipment for his journey, as he plans to camp out along the way.
The 27-year-old, who is a composer and studying a Phd in music at Birmingham City University, is taking on the daunting task to raise £2,000 for the Annette Fox Leukaemia Research Fund.
The charity, set up more than 25 years ago by the friends and family of Annette, who died of leukaemia aged 17, raises funds for patients on ward 7 at Bradford Royal Infirmary.
Jonathan has been inspired by his 29-year-old sister Jennie Green, of Shipley, who has just spent two years being treated for leukaemia on ward 7.
She will be following much of her brother’s progress from a hospital bed as damage caused by the leukaemia treatment has left her needing a double hip replacement operation, which is scheduled to take place this month.
Jonathan said most of the bike had been replaced, apart from the frame, so he is hoping it will be up to the task, but he is not as sure about himself.
He said: “I am aiming for 14 days but that means I have to do 80 miles a day and I have no idea if I can do it,” he said. Other worries include the midges in Scotland, but he remains determined.
“My sister just finished two years of treatment for leukaemia on the Annette Fox ward so I want to do this for them because they have done a lot for her. I hope the money I raise can make a big difference.”
Follow Jonathan’s progress at endtoend2010.blogspot.com and sponsor him at justgiving.com/jg1983b.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here