A BASINGSTOKE resident will handcycle 300 miles from London to Paris to raise money for a spinal cord injury charity.

Alan Cook, 45, will undertake the #NoLimits bike ride to raise money for Back Up, a UK charity dedicated to supporting people affected by spinal cord injuries.

Alan, who works for Wellspect Healthcare, first encountered Back Up after sustaining a spinal cord injury in 2005 and attended a multi-activity course run by the charity.

He later took part in the first #NoLimits London to Paris ride, which he completed in 2012 alongside Luke Delahunty and late Back Up trustee Danny Turnball.

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Alan will be taking part in the 2022 #NoLimits ride in memory of Danny, who passed away from cancer in 2017.

Alan said: “When training at 45 you don’t recover as quickly as you did when you were 35, a few extra kilos makes a lot of difference, so I’ve given up alcohol and pudding for the event.

“Supporting Back Up, who first got me into handcycling and supported me when I first had my injury is a dream.

“And to ride in Danny’s memory is an honour.”

Alan, Danny and Luke undertook the first #NoLimits to prove what was possible after becoming paralysed following a spinal cord injury.

Abigail Lock, CEO of Back Up, said: “One of Back Up’s values is embracing challenge - by doing so we show all that is possible after spinal cord injury.

“Back Up’s iconic #NoLimits London to Paris ride not only provides bucket loads of challenge but it allows handcyclists and cyclists to complete this iconic ride together.

“This amazing fundraising challenge, in memory of our former trustee Danny Turnbull, raises vital funds for our work supporting people to positively adjust after spinal cord injury.

“I wish the team of cyclists and handcyclists bonne chance!”

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37 cyclists, including five handcyclists, will take part in #NoLimits this year.

They will set off from Hampton Court on July 21, arriving at the finish line at the Eiffel Tower in Paris around three days later.

Handcycles are different from bicycles as they require riders to pedal using their hands, arms and upper bodies instead of their legs and feet.

Handcycling requires a high-level of upper body strength, and the handcyclists taking part in #NoLimits 2022 will have completed more than six months of intense training in preparation.

More information about Back Up can be found online at www.backuptrust.org.uk.

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