The Back Story | Peaky Climbers

THE BACK STORY

The inspiration came due to the passing away of 2 very wonderful people.

In April 2007 my mum, Valerie McIntosh, died from Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF). This is an awful lung disease that essentially slowly suffocated her and after 2 years it finally got the better of her and she passed away peacefully.

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In October 2015, Maisie Norton, an inspirational young 17-year-old who had been fighting cancer since first diagnosed in 2009 passed away. She was hugely well known locally in Oxfordshire and helped so many people raise funds during her ill health.

IN THE NEWS

This inspired me to think about life and the people closest to us.

In 2017 it will be the 10th anniversary of my mother dying, plus I turn 50 , plus Maisie passing away recently – all meant it was high time I gave something back.

I tried to think of a whole host of challenges and adventures I could take on that would live up to the expectations of those we have lost.

After much deliberation I decided that it needed to be something big, something uber challenging and something so crazy that it would make everyone sit up and take notice.

I loved spending time in the South West of France a few years back, I have always watched the Tour de France…and then IT HIT ME.

I will cycle the King of the Mountains, like all those guys do in the Tour de France.

What seemed like a eureka moment, soon meant I managed to persuade a good friend, Stuart Eadie, to join me and make it a 2-man challenge.

Upon further investigation into the challenge, speaking to people who have attempted parts of it, but not all of the event and how to take this on and do it properly, lead me to speaking to an official organistion to help structure and organise.

Discussions were on-going. I was now cycling with the GRENCH, a local cycling team, at which point I mentioned the aforementioned challenge.

Within 4 weeks we grew from a team of 2 to a confirmed team of 8 – the PEAKY CLIMBERS had been born.

Momentum was and is building!

Two incredible and very successful local business men, Clive Robson & Steve Aram, agreed to supply Corporate Sponsorship…additional sponsors have come on board since.
This means that the PEAKY CLIMBERS can focus on 2 key things:
• Training
• Raising £30,000 for our 2 chosen charities

The next year will be an incredibly journey not only for the 8 PEAKY CLIMBERS, but their wives, partners and girlfriends, their families, the sponsors, the fundraisers, the helpers and all involved in any way to inspire each other to keep pushing hard in training and during the challenge itself as we climb 20,000m across 700km across the Pyranees and the Alps in 7 days!

I want to thank everyone that’s involved, supporting us and wishing us well…thank you so much for all your kind donations and belief that we can complete this challenge.

It is indeed much more than just a cycle ride…it’s a way of life!