Buxton pensioner hurt in crash during charity challenge completes mission

Alan Thompson started his challenge last autumn but after coming off his bike and ending up in hospital his challenge was postponed.

He has now got back in the saddle and finished his 19 enduro bike rides which have taken him all around the Peak District and Derbyhsire.

The 76-year-old said: “It’s been tough at times but I didn’t just want to become an old man, I wanted to push my self to see what I could do.”

Alan took up biking after back operations put paid to other sporting activities. With nothing better to do he developed a habit of riding a bike each morning to relieve overnight back ache.

He bought an ebike and that has helped him climb the hills and leave him with enough energy to throw himself back down the other side, he said.

This challenge came about after he began to understand the need to recognise and support people who do a great job, even more so when they are helping the needy and vulnerable people in the community, which is the rationale for his Riding out of Lockdown mammoth task.

He said: “Your donations will go to Connex Community Support and Buxton Street By Street who provide practical help to the needy and vulnerable people of Buxton and nearby villages.

"Recently they have chosen to support a new front-line initiative, Breadline, set up in response to an increasing need driven by the financial effects of the pandemic.

"Funded entirely from public contributions, Breadline offers emergency hardship grants, in the form of vouchers, to local residents of Buxton who, for whatever reason, have fallen on hard times.”

His rides have have been physically demanding and on Tuesday, July 13 he finished his last ride ending in Buxton.

He said: “We celebrated back in Buxton with all my friends from Connex Community Support, Buxton Street by Street and my wonderful support Team.”

To donate to Alan’s challenge visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/alans-challenge.

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