Steve cycles to Brighton to raise cash for charity

I took part in this year’s London-to-Brighton bike ride to raise money for the Britsh Heart Foundation’s work to prevent heart disease.  The 56-mile bike ride is an annual event and this was the fourth time I’ve taken part.  This year’s ride was very poignant for me as a very good friend, Ruth Ling, died unexpectedly  the day before the ride took place after suffering a heart attack.  Our team, the Red Riders, dedicated our ride to Ruth’s memory and we raised over £2000 in her name between us. 

Croydon has very high levels of obesity, with levels particularly high among children.  It’s vital that we raise awareness of the need for a healthy lifestyle that includes a balance of healthy eating and regular exercise.  This is particularly important for children as the behaviours learnt in childhood often persist throughout life.  Obesity, unhealthy diets and a lack of exercise are the main causes of heart disease – the biggest preventable cause of death in our community.  I hope that my participation in the London-to-Brighton bike ride helps to highlight the need for regular exercise to more people. 

We’ll miss Ruth very much, and I hope we honoured her memory by raising money in her name for such a good cause.