Dad and sons take on 180-mile bike ride to fundraise for charity

Two 10-year-old brothers from Maidenhead have completed a 180-mile bike ride in four days with their dad to raise money for Thames Hospice.

Samuel and Theodore Tan and their father Stephen Tan cycled from Maidenhead to Paignton in Devon from Tuesday, August 9 to Friday, August 12.

Explaining the reasons behind the fundraiser and challenge, their mum Melissa Carr said that the boys had heard stories from their grandmother of the work hospices do and were keen to raise money for their local facility in Bray.

The trio covered about 50 miles per day on their bike ride.

Kicking off their journey, the trio made their way from Maidenhead to Andover on the first day, and from Andover to Wincanton on the second day.

Following a detour via Yeovil on the third day to buy a replacement tyre, the team made it to Honiton from Wincanton.

On the final day, the trio cycled from Honiton, making it to their final destination of Paignton.

On their cycle, the team battled punctures, heat and hills while also receiving donations and a helping hand from people they met along the way.

They were also interviewed on the Karen Williams show on BBC Radio Berkshire on Thursday,

August 11.

The trio have smashed their initial £200 fundraising target, with the total on the JustGiving page currently standing at more than £1,500.

Melissa added: “I knew that Theo, Sam and their dad Stephen had been keen to do a big ride

for a while, but when the idea of cycling all the way to Devon came up I was a little apprehensive.

“Day one was a great ride and really built their confidence with a lovely stretch along the canal in Reading.

“Days two, three and four the boys described as hard, harder and hardest as they hit the hills and the heat.

“By day three, I know they were really starting to find it tough going at times.

“I went to visit them that evening to bring pizza and bike repair supplies and could see how tired they were, but was so impressed with their positivity and how much they were enjoying their adventure.”

She added: “It was so fantastic to see them cycling along the final stretch with a fabulous local fanfare on day four.

“I am so proud of the boys and their determination – they set their mind to a massive challenge, had some amazing experiences along the way and raised a fantastic sum to support Thames Hospice.

“I’m sure that they’ll maintain their spirit of adventure and always remember that they have what it takes to rise to meet any future challenges.”

View the fundraiser at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sam-theo-mammoth-bike-ride?experiments=donate_now_track_click&successType=StaticDonateButtonClick