Greg
collapsed at work when his heart suddenly stopped on 10th March
2006. After nine days in intensive care at the William Harvey Hospital in
Ashford, Kent, surrounded by the people who loved him and whom he loved,
Greg slipped away.
During the 9
days in hospital it was discovered that Greg had a heart condition referred
to as Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
- a condition that remained undetected throughout his life.
We now realise
just how important cardiac screening is and it’s our parents hope that the
money they have raised will increase awareness and encourage cardiac
screening in young people.
When our mum
originally suggested registering for the cycle, it was more in jest than a
serious proposal.
However, as she
thought more about it, the more the idea of
cycling from London to Paris for
CRY appealed to her.
There were many
factors that motivated our parents to take on this challenge. Our mum was
born in Chartres, France and as a result French culture has always been a
big part of our family’s lives. This combined with Greg’s love of the
outdoors, his passion for cycling and his sense of adventure confirmed that
this challenge would be the perfect way to honour him and his life. And it
was a chance to get fit and raise money for CRY.
A large part of
their motivation for taking on this challenge was to honour Greg. Perhaps
they had secretly hoped that the physical pain involved in the challenge
would reduce the heartache felt since losing Greg.
It
was indeed both an emotional and physical challenge – neither having cycled
in years! They purchased new bikes and then began an intensive 12-week
training programme.
Several times
each week they could be found powering up the Downs and along Salton’s Way
towards West Wittering in West Sussex, building up stamina and endurance for
the challenge.
They spent the
final two weeks of training on holiday, preparing for the French terrain,
cycling in the hills of Provence battling high temperatures and strong
“Mistral” winds.
On the 12th
September they set off for London to begin their 4-day, 450 km journey. On
day one, leaving Greenwich, along with 101 other riders, they covered 135
km, making their way through the fields and villages and over the many
exhausting hills of Kent towards Dover.
Early the
following morning, they set off from Calais for Abbeville, taking in the
beauty of the rural landscapes; and contrary to popular belief Northern
France is not flat!
Day 3 was a
slightly shorter ride to Beauvais and it was during this stretch of the
journey that we – Stephanie, Gabrielle, Camille and Greg’s fiancée, Laura -
came to offer emotional and motivational support.
Finally, on the
morning of 15th September, our mum and dad began their final
cycle into Paris.
|
All 103
cyclists peddled around the Arc de Triomphe, and along the Champs Elysees to
finish at the base of Eiffel Tower where family, friends and supporters met
them with huge applause and admiration.
When
asked about the experience, our mum said:
“Looking back on these past four days, I realise that the physical
pain could never match the heartache of losing my Greg.”
But
they both feel the experience was a positive one. Greg always used
to say “just keep swimming” when faced with difficult times, and
this journey has proven that with love and determination one can
survive and find a way through.
This
‘epic’ adventure has raised well above our parents original target
of £8,000. At present they have helped to raise almost £16,000
for Greg’s memorial fund at CRY.
This
money will be added to the £5,000+ raised by the skydive for Greg,
completed by Greg’s sisters, fiancée and friends; and the cycle
completed by Greg’s work colleague, Matt Spain.
Stephanie, Gabrielle and Camille Mack & Laura Manni |
From left to right:
Alison Spalding, Chris Mack, Tony Spalding and Elisabeth Mack.
Tony Spalding also completed the event to raise money for CRY. |
