THE chairman of a Lancashire Nissan dealer group is gearing up for his greatest challenge – and it’s all in the name of charity.
Andy Turner, from the Chorley Group, is about to embark on a 1,100km cycle adventure in aid of Chorley MENCAP, a charity that supports adults with learning difficulties.
And what makes the feat all the more remarkable is Andy is jumping into the saddle just months after undergoing major back surgery.
The 55-year-old, who is taking on the challenge with elder brother Peter, has spent the last two months training for the mammoth bike ride, which starts in Basel, Switzerland and finishes in Rotterdam, Holland.
The pair anticipate it will take 10 days to complete the route and if they fail to reach the finish line then Andy has promised to refund all sponsorship money and pay the full amount raised to MENCAP out of his own pocket.
He said: “This is arguably the biggest challenge of my life and as the start line gets nearer I’m beginning to ask myself ‘what have I done?”
“It started off as a bit of sport between me and my brother, who had heard I’d taken up cycling as a way of getting myself fit again so he challenged me to join him on a proper ride.
“I didn’t realise what he had in mind was a 1100km ride through three countries, following the River Rhine from Switzerland to Holland!
“As someone who is relatively new to cycling, that would have been a challenge in itself, but the fact I’ve only just recovered from major back surgery makes it doubly difficult.
“My colleagues at work think I’ve bitten off more than I can chew but I’m determined to give this my best shot, particularly as we’re raising money for such a good cause.
“And if I come up short then I’ll refund all sponsorship money and pay the amount in full myself so Chorley MENCAP can’t lose.”
The Chorley Group have been keen sponsors of Chorley MENCAP for six years and the company’s Finance Director, Hilary Nicol, is treasurer of the charity.
To sponsor Andy and Peter please visit their JustGiving page for more information https://www.justgiving.com/chorleygroup/