Sporting family prepares for epic cycling challenge
A sporting family is tackling a huge biking challenge - with the backing of a Wolverhampton cycling legend.
Trauma surgeon-turned-triathlete Richard Roach will be joined by his two daughters when they take to the saddle for the annual Banks's Round The Wrekin charity cycle ride.
Hundreds of people are expected to ride out on May 19, to take on one of four races across the Black Country and Shropshire.
Riders can tackle The Banks’s Epic Route of 102 miles, the Compton Care Classic Route of 67 miles and the Hugh Porter Challenge Route of 24 miles. This year, a new ride has been introduced, the FunCycle 10-mile route, which is aimed at families.
Richard works as a orthopaedic trauma and knee surgeon across Shropshire for the Shrewsbury and Telford NHS Trust, and tackles triathlons in his spare time.
He said: "I got into it as I was always a good runner so I took up quadrathlon's, which involve canoeing and I got myself to rank 15 in the country in the early 1990s.
"About 10 years ago I got back into it and I do around two or three events each year, including three Ironman distances in the last five years."
The 49-year-old from Shrewsbury, and his daughters Anastasia, aged 15, and Sapphira, aged 13, are taking on the Hugh Porter route, and have been speaking to the cycling legend himself ahead of the event.
"The kids love sports and wanted to do more biking.
"Supporting the charity is a great lesson for them, to know what Compton do - it's good for them to be giving something back.
"They have never biked more than two or three miles but they have the ability to do it, and they'll be doing it with friends too. It's a social event with no clock running against you.
Cycling legend
"To have Hugh backing us is immense, he is inspirational, and I want to support him myself to promote this event.
"We have an estimated 30 per cent inactivity rate in young and middle-aged adults.
"Most initiatives are put to younger people, but everyone needs to be active, it's incredibly beneficial both physically and psychologically."
Hugh added: "To see a family taking this on gives me a lot of satisfaction.
"It ticks the health and wellbeing box and brings youngsters into the sport.
"For them to be part of a family team raising money for a worthy cause like Compton Care, is a big plus.
"It's less than three weeks to go so if you haven't, make up your mind on which distance to do, remember it's always for a good cause."
People can still register for the cycle by visiting www.roundthewrekin.co.uk.
