Page 28 - Oundle Life June 2023

CHARITY
CYCLE
Cure Leukaemia
In June 2023, Dan McDonald
(who is local to Oundle) will join
24 other amateur cyclists from
around the world to take on ‘The
Tour 21’, a gruelling 3,404km-long
biking challenge over the same
Tour de France racecourse the
professionals will tackle a week
later. It is a massive challenge that will take place from Saturday 24th June – Sunday 16th July. Their objective isn’t just athletic glory; they are raising over £1million for Cure Leukaemia – a UK nationwide charity connecting patients and children with
blood cancer to potentially life-saving treatment options.
has recently completed five of the six world major marathons. Plus, each cyclist is tasked with fundraising at least £30,000 for Cure Leukaemia. Ultimately, encouragement from his wife Jess and two children (Carys and Eleanor),
Every 14 minutes, someone is
diagnosed as having blood cancer
in the UK. Cure Leukaemia fund
research nurses and clinical roles at 15
blood cancer centres in the UK. These
roles form the Trials Acceleration
Programme (TAP) network, giving patients from a catchment area of 20 million, access to pioneering and potentially lifesaving treatments through clinical trials.
“It was a thrill, and a real privilege, to have been chosen to participate.” Dan says. But at first, the magnitude of the training ahead gave him time to pause. Joining The Tour 21 meant committing to nearly a year of intense training, four weeks off work, and six to eight hours
of cycling per day for 21 days – intimidating feats, even for strong amateur roadrunner, who
“It was a thrill, and a real privilege, to have been chosen to participate.”
and his abiding dedication to cancer research, gave him the confidence and motivation needed to take on the challenge.
As his training intensifies, Dan is feeling excited – if a little apprehensive. He fears flat tires, mechanical issues, and torrential downpours on the mountainous descents of the Alps
and Pyrenees, together with getting
hungry at the end of stages. It helps to know that his wife, children, and parents will be there cheering him on as he crosses the finishing line at the Arc de Triumph in Paris, on Sunday 16th July.
Dan says that the real win will be knowing he’s part of a team helping to move cancer research forward, and ultimately saving patients’ lives.
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JustGiving: www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/danielthetour21