Release date: 11 July 2024
A Station Manager from West Sussex Fire & Rescue Service conquered wind, rain and fatigue when cycling 100-miles across the South Downs Way in memory of his colleagues.
Jamie Cox set off from Winchester Fire Station at 5pm on Saturday (6 July) and arrived at his destination in Eastbourne at 10.22am the following morning. In total, Jamie completed the challenge with a moving time of 12 hours and 31 minutes – an hour and a half quicker than when he completed the same challenge the previous year.
Speaking of the challenge, Jamie said: “Last year when I took on the challenge I experienced a mechanical issue with a tyre, but fortunately this time around there were no issues. The big difference this year was the weather; the temperature was perfect at the beginning of the journey which saw us make great progress early on, but from Firle Beacon the weather took a turn for the worse and we cycled through the morning with driving wind and rain from the coast hitting our faces. This caused the tiredness to kick in, but thankfully sweets and energy gels were on hand!
“We saw the most amazing sunrise and I am so glad we sacrificed some longer breaks to get the best view of the sunrise in Hassocks.
“I also saw some incredible wildlife throughout the gruelling journey. Badgers, deer, rabbits, door mice, frogs and barn owls all came out to say hello.”
So far Jamie has raised £1,600 for The Fire Fighters Charity, in memory of two well-loved colleagues - Mark Butler who lost his battle with leukaemia and Simon Constable who passed away having suffered a stroke in 2019. The donation page will be open until the end of the month, should you wish to donate.
Jamie added: “I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who came to meet us at the end, particularly the families of Simon Constable and Mark Butler – two sorely missed colleagues whose legacies we were honouring with this challenge. Thank you also to Jason from the MUckfield Wheelers MTB Group who spent a lot of time planning, supplying food and carrying goods to keep the weight down, and to Stuart from the Electric Bike Shop for servicing my bike for free and riding the journey with me.
“A final thank you goes to everyone that sent messages of support, shared stories and gave donations. The Fire Fighters Charity do incredible work to keep firefighters and their families happy and healthy, as I was able to experience when I used their services last year. I am so glad that I have been able to raise much need donations for such an important charity.”
To find out more about the challenge, visit: https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/news/fire-officer-takes-on-100-mile-bike-ride-in-memory-of-colleagues/
