WNT cyclists push hard for heart charity's benefit
1 min read
Riders from across Europe came together recently to form the 42-strong team WNT that took part in the British Heart Foundation's London to Paris off-road cycle ride. Their combined efforts so far have raised £12,000 for the charity, with more to come.
When the word went out for volunteers to join team WNT on the British Heart Foundation London to Paris cycle ride, there was no shortage of volunteers; both from here in the UK and from WNT subsidiary and head offices across Europe. Along with the other teams that entered the 300 km off-road challenge, a total of £125 000 was raised for the charity.
While cycling is a popular pastime among the staff at WNT, some serious training had to be put in ahead of this challenge, which saw the WNT 42 depart, along with 156 fellow cyclists, from Kempton Racecourse in Surrey and head off across the south downs, before crossing the channel for an overnight stop in Calais.
Day two was an 80 km leg that saw some mixed terrain and a final climb to Lyons la Forret. After a final nights rest, the final push was 120 km on to the Palace of Versailles, which saw the participants encounter some tough trails. A welcome dinner and a couple of cold beers awaited the riders at the end.
The British Heart Foundation is WNT (UK)'s charity of the year for 2013 and it the company held several fund-raising events during the year so far, including mountain biking, and motorcycle track days. WNT's Just Giving site remains open, if anyone would like to show their support for the charity: http://www.justgiving.com/WNT-CYCLE-LONDON-TO-PARIS.
"This was a superb event to be a part of, and before we set off we said we would start as a team and finish as a team; and that is exactly what we did. The effort that everyone put in was superb and the end result, raising so much money for a charity that can have a positive effect on everyone, made it all worthwhile," says Tony Pennington, managing director, WNT (UK).
