Darren Blythe's Fundraising Page
Darren Blythe is raising money for Myaware - Fighting Myasthenia Together
Story
I am very pleased to say that i succsessfully completed the Etape du Tour 2009 earlier this year in appox 7hrs 20mins
I would like to say a massive thankyou for all your donations. It was a truly fantastic event.
For those of you who are interested i have written a full report here
This page will still be accepting donations until the 31st Jan 2010
Thanks Again
Darren
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About Me Quite a number of years ago I used to be a keen mountain biker and competed quite successfully at national level for a couple of years . Things were looking good for a while but quite a lot of things happened in a very short period that made me re-prioritize my life, including a move from my beloved Yorkshire down to London. As many of you know, London is not exactly well known for it's mountain bike terrain and settling into my new life while visiting the family back up north meant i pretty much stopped cycling altogether apart from the odd trip and holidays etc but i've always remained a keen fan of cycling in general. Riding an event like the Etape had always been a distant dream of mine and even at the peak of my fitness many years ago this is something I would have thought twice about but after a few years surviving on a diet of lager and crisps it seemed completely unimaginable. Last year i trained my nuts off to compete in this event only to be struck down with a significant knee injury that has taken almost a year of treatment and physiotherapy to heal. It's been a long, painful and often difficult road (literally!) but fortunately with some great support from my friends, family, coach, medical personnel and cycling collegues (thank's for joining me on all those miserable winter rides guys!) i’m back and stronger than ever this year with a great deal of unfinished business to take care of! About the Event For those who don't know, the Etape du tour is the most legendary cycle sportive in existence and one of the toughest amateur sporting events anywhere in the world. It allows high level amateur riders to take in a stage of the professional Tour de France alongside the main event. This year, it is estimated there will be some 8000 entries on the 170KM route staged in Provence region of southern France which will stretch from Montélimar to Mont Ventoux through the heart of the Alps. We will have to conquer five mountain summits with the final one being up Mt Ventoux, at 22km with an average gradient of 7.5% this is one of the most difficult and mythical climbs in cycling history. Any cycling fans may remember the legendary battle between Armstrong and Pantani, but the mountain is probably most famous for claiming the life of British Pro Cyclist Tom Simpson who died of exhaustion whilst nearing the summit in the 1967 Tour. Full details of the event can be found on the Etape homepage and there is some great stage information on the Official Tour de France website About the Myasthenia Gravis Association Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a chronic auto immune disease characterised by fluctuating levels of muscle weakness caused by the body making antibodies that destroy some of our muscle receptors.
It is uncommon, affecting only 15 per 100,000 individuals in the UK, and although it can be a very serious condition, with correct diagnosis and ongoing treatment 90 per cent of patients live a near-normal life. As many of you know my Dad was diagnosed with MG several years ago. Since then (along with support from the MGA) he has worked tirelessly to raise the profile and awareness of this debilitating condition. I’m very pleased to have the opportunity to help out in a small way for something that is very close to my heart and i hope those of you that know my Dad and what a wonderful person he is, will do the same. I’m very honoured to be able to lend my support to the MGA and thoughts of my Dad and the rest of my family are all the inspiration i need to get me through this gruelling event and over those damn mountains! I’ve been training harder than ever this year so please give generously and help me hit the target for the MGA. It's a great charity for a little known disease that desperately needs our support. If you would like more information please visit the MGA website www.mgauk.org Donating through Just Giving is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: The MGA will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you. Many thanks for taking the time to read this and your continued support. This year nothing will stop me! Best wishes Daz
I would like to say a massive thankyou for all your donations. It was a truly fantastic event.
For those of you who are interested i have written a full report here
This page will still be accepting donations until the 31st Jan 2010
Thanks Again
Darren
****************************************************************************************************
About Me Quite a number of years ago I used to be a keen mountain biker and competed quite successfully at national level for a couple of years . Things were looking good for a while but quite a lot of things happened in a very short period that made me re-prioritize my life, including a move from my beloved Yorkshire down to London. As many of you know, London is not exactly well known for it's mountain bike terrain and settling into my new life while visiting the family back up north meant i pretty much stopped cycling altogether apart from the odd trip and holidays etc but i've always remained a keen fan of cycling in general. Riding an event like the Etape had always been a distant dream of mine and even at the peak of my fitness many years ago this is something I would have thought twice about but after a few years surviving on a diet of lager and crisps it seemed completely unimaginable. Last year i trained my nuts off to compete in this event only to be struck down with a significant knee injury that has taken almost a year of treatment and physiotherapy to heal. It's been a long, painful and often difficult road (literally!) but fortunately with some great support from my friends, family, coach, medical personnel and cycling collegues (thank's for joining me on all those miserable winter rides guys!) i’m back and stronger than ever this year with a great deal of unfinished business to take care of! About the Event For those who don't know, the Etape du tour is the most legendary cycle sportive in existence and one of the toughest amateur sporting events anywhere in the world. It allows high level amateur riders to take in a stage of the professional Tour de France alongside the main event. This year, it is estimated there will be some 8000 entries on the 170KM route staged in Provence region of southern France which will stretch from Montélimar to Mont Ventoux through the heart of the Alps. We will have to conquer five mountain summits with the final one being up Mt Ventoux, at 22km with an average gradient of 7.5% this is one of the most difficult and mythical climbs in cycling history. Any cycling fans may remember the legendary battle between Armstrong and Pantani, but the mountain is probably most famous for claiming the life of British Pro Cyclist Tom Simpson who died of exhaustion whilst nearing the summit in the 1967 Tour. Full details of the event can be found on the Etape homepage and there is some great stage information on the Official Tour de France website About the Myasthenia Gravis Association Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a chronic auto immune disease characterised by fluctuating levels of muscle weakness caused by the body making antibodies that destroy some of our muscle receptors.
It is uncommon, affecting only 15 per 100,000 individuals in the UK, and although it can be a very serious condition, with correct diagnosis and ongoing treatment 90 per cent of patients live a near-normal life. As many of you know my Dad was diagnosed with MG several years ago. Since then (along with support from the MGA) he has worked tirelessly to raise the profile and awareness of this debilitating condition. I’m very pleased to have the opportunity to help out in a small way for something that is very close to my heart and i hope those of you that know my Dad and what a wonderful person he is, will do the same. I’m very honoured to be able to lend my support to the MGA and thoughts of my Dad and the rest of my family are all the inspiration i need to get me through this gruelling event and over those damn mountains! I’ve been training harder than ever this year so please give generously and help me hit the target for the MGA. It's a great charity for a little known disease that desperately needs our support. If you would like more information please visit the MGA website www.mgauk.org Donating through Just Giving is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: The MGA will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you. Many thanks for taking the time to read this and your continued support. This year nothing will stop me! Best wishes Daz