Phil Dart
cycling for Taylan
Fundraising for Brain Tumour Research
Story
18/7 Hello everyone. My name is Taylor Dart and I've just had my 8th birthday. On Sunday 18th July I rode 40 miles on my bike around Poole Bay to raise money for Brain Tumour Research in memory of my friend Taylan Rawlinson. I then decided to ride another 10 miles to make it 50 in total! I finished the 40 mile ride in 3 hours 28 minutes and averaged 11.5mph and did 50.1 miles in 4 hours 20 minutes with an average speed of 11.5mph overall. Total climbing was 765 metres. If you read on you'll find out why I did the ride and how I prepared for it!
I started from my Grandma's house in Ferndown, rode to Poole, then to Wareham, Corfe Castle and Studland. Then I took the short ferry crossing to Sandbanks, then headed back through Poole and Bournemouth to my Grandma's.
I rode my bike to raise money for Taylan's Project, which is helping Brain Tumour Research, because my friend Taylan passed away last August, aged 7. Taylan helped me to learn how to ride my first bike without stabilisers in November 2006 when we were both 4.
www.taylansproject.com Please please sponsor me even though I hit my final target of £1600.
Here's how I got on in the build up to the ride....
3/6 First big training ride today 26.1 miles in 3h 15mins travelling time but with plenty of stops along the way, averaged 8mph. A hot day in Dorset, lots of climbs, but ice cream at the top made it all worthwhile. Thanks to the people we met on the route at lunchtime today who donated money!
5/7 Fully back to training now following being diagnosed with a heart murmur when I went for my first MK Dons medical last Wednesday. I've had an ECG and an ultrasound of my heart and there's nothing at all wrong - I just have noisy pipes! I'm now planning to do a 33 mile ride in the final build up to the 18th.
7/7 Thanks everyone, over the last couple of weeks I've been able to keep raising my target from £150 right up to where it is now at £1600 because of everyone's generosity. Thank you!
12/7 Another big training ride today - 35.1 miles in 2 hours 51 minutes total travelling time, but not many hills . My average speed today was 12.1mph. I think I'm ready!
16/7 BBC Radio Solent interviewed me today and South Today filmed ready for their news bulletin on Saturday 17/7 at 525pm. Please watch!
18/7 another radio interview at the end of the ride and the BBC kept running the story on their local news and put the story on their website at: