Leon trains for 900-mile charity cycle
Level 3 Sport Diploma student Leon Cherrington-Jones is cycling from John O'Groats to Lands End to raise money for his fellow student and close friend’s brother, former Truro College student Chae, who has an incurable brain tumour.
Over 14 days during the May half term, Leon plans to cycle the 900-plus miles route down the UK from John O'Groats, through Scotland, into England, along the border of Wales back into his home county of Cornwall and finish up at Land's End, to raise money to help Chae and his family with any costs for future treatment and support.
Leon has set up a Just Giving crowdfunding page for Chae which has already raised nearly £2,000 including £260 raised by his fellow sport classmates during their annual ‘Superstars’ event at the end of last year.
Leon spoke of why he decided to take up the challenge: “In a time of utter heartbreak, the family is doing amazing and all they can, I admire them all. I wanted to give something back to them as they feel like another family to me and are all amazing people.
“I would spend weekend upon weekend at their home and feel it as a second home, the hospitality was too welcoming. Because of this and just the purest people that they are, I want to raise some money to give as much as I can for Chae and his family.
“This cycle means so much to me as do the people I am doing it for. Having the support, sponsors and donations that I have received in the past few months has been incredible and pushing me in every bit of training and work I'm putting in, to eventually and hopefully complete the journey for Chae.
“It is a long, long cycle and something far greater than I have ever done before. Certainly bigger than cycling over a few hills to check the surf on the weekends, but it wouldn’t be called a challenge otherwise. But what better time to do it than now when I have someone to do it for, giving the willpower to do it.”
Julian Wills, Health, Wellbeing and Sport Project Lead at the College, has been providing Leon with advice and guidance on how best to train for his challenge and what diet will best help him succeed. As a Performance Triathlon Coach, Julian has been able to help Leon create a balanced training plan that will prepare him for the ride, gradually building his strength and endurance so he will be able to start his charity cycle in the best possible shape.
All of Leon’s sport lecturers, fellow classmates and the rest of the staff at Callywith College are incredibly proud of everything Leon is doing and has already achieved for Chae and his family.
Visit Leon’s Justgiving page here