An adventurous dad cycling the length of Britain overcame a serious accident miles before the finishing line to raise nearly £3,000 for charity.
Steve Green (51), a site manager for Linden Homes Guildford, endured rain, wind, hills and badly coming off his bike in Scotland as he aimed to cover more than 1,000 miles over two weeks, from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
He set off from Cornwall on June 29th with his friend and former Linden Homes colleague Tom Amato (58), but unfortunately Tom reached their goal on July 14th on his own after Steve lost control on a sharp bend in the Highlands and broke eight of his ribs.
He was taken by ambulance to the town’s hospital before being airlifted to Glasgow where he was also diagnosed with a collapsed lung. He was in hospital for a week and his wife Carol and son Jamie travelled up to be at his side.
Steve, who lives in Horsham, is site manager at Housebuilder of the Year Linden Homes’ Fernley Park development in Uckfield, East Sussex, and Tom, from Tadworth, Surrey, used to work in the company’s south-east region.
Steve, who is now back at work, said: “I was extremely disappointed not to reach the finish line with Tom, but am very glad he went on to complete it on my behalf.
“We had set ourselves the target of cycling 80 miles a day so it was a real challenge, and at the toughest moments we were given heart by remembering the brilliant cause we were doing it all for.
“I covered about 800 miles before the accident and I’m determined to go back and finish it off.”
The pair have already scaled the three tallest peaks of England, Scotland and Wales, as well as Kilimanjaro in Africa and Mont Blanc in France – in aid of the Children’s Trust and St Catherine’s Hospice which needs about £5 million a year to keep treating people living with terminal illness from across Crawley, Horsham, mid-Sussex and east Surrey.
Linden Homes Guildford managing director Peter Youll added: “I’m so impressed at Steve and Tom’s achievement, and we’re all relieved Steve has made such a fast recovery. Their dedication to raising money for St Catherine’s is fantastic.
“To go to such lengths is a credit to both of them and combines physical endurance with the kind of generosity and community spirit that Linden Homes is proud to be associated with.”
To donate, go online to www.justgiving.com/Tom-n-Steves-Cycle-Challenge
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For further information, contact Lyndsay Scanlan or Sam Nickerson at Remarkable Public Relations on 01962 893 893.
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