27 November, 2009
Sarah Storey to lead Deloitte Ride Across Britain
Sarah Storey the seven-time Paralympic gold medallist, will attempt one of the world’s most spectacular cycling challenges in 2010, the Deloitte Ride Across Britain to help raise money for Paralympics GB
The Deloitte Ride Across Britain is due to begin on Saturday June 12, 2010, and will last for nine days. The 650 participants led by Sarah Storey and Olympic double gold medallist rower James Cracknell will cycle 1,008 mile from John O’Groats in the Scottish highlands to Land’s End in Cornwall.
An average distance of 110 miles a day will be covered on route to their destination in order to raise money for the event’s charity partners – Paralympics GB – who are hoping to receive a total of £1 million from the event between 2010 and 2013.
The money raised for Paralympics GB will be used to support British athletes as they prepare for London 2012 and will go towards helping the team achieve their goal of finishing second on the medal table for the fourth successive Games
Sarah competed in her first Paralympic Games in Barcelona in 1992 at swimming when she was just 14, Sarah has won 16 Paralympic medals – five of which were gold – between then and the Athens 2004 Games in the pool before deciding to switch to Para-cycling where she claimed a further two gold medals at the Beijing 2008 Paralympics.
Always up for a challenge Sarah firmly, believes that The Deloitte Ride Across Britain will fit perfectly into her training schedule.
She said “I have always wanted the opportunity to do the end to end ride across Britain and even spoke to my parents about it so when the opportunity to participate in The Deloitte Ride Across Britain came up - and fitted in with my training ahead of the World Championships - I was delighted to sign up”
Sarah is delighted that the money raised from the ride will be going to ParalympicsGB and therefore will be helping many of her teammates ahead of the London 2012 Games.
She said: “It is hugely important for me that the money raised is going to ParalympicsGB who will be able to provide our team with the best training opportunities and best equipment ahead of the London 2012 where we hope to be challenging for top spot.”