TWO friends have raised over £7,000 for Oakhaven Hospice after undertaking a gruelling Asian cycling challenge.
Clare Southcombe and Jackie Baybut undertook the self-funded ride to cover a distance of more than 400km from Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam to Angkor Wat in Cambodia, last month.
Clare Southcombe and Jackie Baybut undertook the self-funded challenge cycling from Vietnam to Cambodia
Cycling for seven days, through two of the world’s most fascinating countries, the pair were tested by temperatures in the mid to high 30s.
Clare said: ”Jackie, who is very involved and works voluntarily for Oakhaven, and myself decided to take on the challenge to raise funds for the hospice.
“After agreeing to do this, and feeling terrified because neither of us are cyclists, we thought it might be a good idea to actually buy a bike!”
Clare Southcombe and Jackie Baybut raised over £7,000 for Oakhaven Hospice
After training in the UK, the pair arrived jet-lagged in Vietnam ready for the tough week-long challenge. Waking up at 4.30am to cover ground before the hottest part of the day, Clare and Jackie said the route was extreme, with a number of casualties along the way.
“One girl had to be stitched up in a karaoke bar,” said Claire, adding: “One of the doctors had sickness, and lots of the cyclists suffered with heatstroke, but we did it, without giving up once.
“It was a mental and physical challenge we’ll never forget, but we were always thinking about why we were doing this.”
Altogether the pair raised £7,234 for the charity. To donate, visit https://shorturl.at/lYqOd