A HOOK dad will be piling on the pedal power as he takes on a gruelling challenge tomorrow in memory of his friend.

Father-of-one Ian Hick, of Beechcrest View, Hook, will be cycling a 305-mile route between Newcastle and London in 24 hours tomorrow to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Society in memory of friend Simon Hughes.

Ian and Simon first met when they were working together at RAF Odiham, with Ian describing him a “really fit guy” before he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.

More than 100,000 people in the UK currently have Multiple Sclerosis which is a condition where the coating around nerve fibres is damaged and causes a range of symptoms.

Simon, of Old Basing, died in May 2013, aged 53, following a heart attack.

As part of the challenge, Ian will have to ride 305 miles over seven stages and he has already smashed his £500 fundraising target, raising £1,321 so far.

The 45-year-old, who is now based at Gibraltar Barracks, in Camberley, told The Gazette: “A friend of mine who I worked with died a couple of years ago as a result of Multiple Sclerosis and I wanted to do something in his memory.

“He was a really fit bloke. We noticed his balance was off and then he said he had MS. For some people it is manageable but this was a really fast-acting debilitating one.”

When asked how he had been preparing for the cycle challenge, Ian added: “It is a big challenge for me. I am about as prepared as I can be.

“To I have done lots of different events and cycle about 30 miles-a-day commuting to work. This year, I have done around 2,500 miles as part of my training.”

To donate to Ian’s appeal, visit justgiving.com/Ian-Hick1.