Four Spireites Football for Life participants took part in a charity cycle ride from Chesterfield to Skegness on Friday to raise awareness of mental health issues.
James Roddis, Kris Liggatt, Jordan Wade and Nathan Droniuk set off from the HUB at the Technique Stadium at 6am and arrived at the seaside town in the evening.
James provides his account of the day:
First of all I just want to thank everyone for the support we received on what felt like the coldest day of my life.
We knew it would be a tough ride but I think we still underestimated how tough it would actually turn out to be.
Battling a strong wind and heavy rain, we arrived half way in Lincoln already wet and cold, however we got a huge boost thanks to the locals who were constantly congratulating us on what we were doing and we were even treated to a free McDonald’s meal by the manager!
After Lincoln it became a battle to keep going as we went from cold to freezing. Wet clothes and wet shoes made the ride extremely uncomfortable for us all and the falling light eventually hit us.
With 15 miles to go, Nathan was the first to stop followed by Kris and Jordan just two miles later. With fatigue and dizziness, it became unsafe for them to continue.
I was feeling comfortable enough to keep going and was able to do the final 13 miles in quick time meaning the ride was completed within our target time of 12 hours.
Arriving in Skegness became an emotional achievement for us all and I cannot say how proud I am of the rest of the guys for what they went through.
We set out to raise awareness for mental health and I feel that we achieved our goal. The money we have been able to raise is incredible.
I want to thank Chesterfield FC and the Community Trust for their support, including Nathan Khan and Carl Cappellano from Spireites Football for Life. The players – Curtis Weston and Joe Rowley in particular – showed great support for us. Thanks also to Alan Wilkinson from Elastic FM.
A massive thanks to everyone for their support and donations. It is a memory that will stay with me for the rest of my life.
Spireites Football for Life is a long-running project, providing weekly football coaching sessions aimed at adults experiencing mental health issues. To find out more, please click here.
The funds raised from the charity cycle ride will go to mental health charities. To donate, please click here.
