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🚲💙🧡C H A L L E N G E 4 2 🧡💙🚲

B A C K G R O U N D: I am 42 on Monday 15th June. I had been thinking about doing a fitness challenge and then along came Kirsty Ellson’s Infinite Balance June Challenge to set yourself a fitness/wellbeing challenge for the month of June.

M Y  C H A L L E N G E: I am 42 on Monday 15th June so I decided to add a 0 and cycle 420 miles during the month of June. On my Birthday Bike Ride I will be cycling 42 miles for my 42 years with my Sister Melissa Cooper! Throughout the month of June I will be wearing my blue/orange MNDA t-shirt/vest, orange socks  and orange lipstick to raise awareness and be totally on brand at all times. I  am inviting anyone to join me on my rides, or if you want to request a 'cycle-by' I will come and do a socially distanced hi from my bike. I must point out I am not a professional cyclist, just a Mum on a town bike! My children and I are also cycling to and from school every day during June so it is a real family affair! Raising much needed awareness and funds for MNDA who are supporting my Dad (Bob Cooper)  who is living with MND.

***D A Y  1 4  M I L E A G E  U P D A T E*** On Sun 14 June I hit my original 420 mile target! I am now cycling to my Dad’s age 68, with a 0...680 miles! 

***D A Y  1 9  M I L E A G E  U P D A T E*** On Fri 19 June I hit my second target of 680 miles. I am now aiming for 1000 miles in June.

***D A Y  2 7  M I L E A G E  U P D A T E*** On Sat 27 Jan I hit my third target of 1000 miles. I am now going to add 42 (my age) plus 68 (Dad's age) together = 110. Final target 1110 miles. 3 days to go!

***D A Y  3 0  M I L E A G E  U P D A T E*** Tue 30 Jun was my last day in the saddle. Joined by Mel Glass we went on a 68 mile bike ride to Mark my Dad’s age 68. The final mileage total for June was 1163.4 miles over 30 days, 93 bike rides with 116h17m in the saddle. My children also clocked up over 200 miles with me on their school runs! The fundraising throughout has been phenomenal. You can continue to donate until 30th September. Thank you to everyone who has donated, together we will help find a cure for MND! 

***S U N  2 6  J U L Y  U P D A T E*** Today my beloved Dad (Bob Cooper) lost his battle with MND. He went into Stoke Royal Hospital on Mon 20 July and was diagnosed with pneumonia and respiratory failure. He showed incredible strength and courage towards the end. No more suffering now, he is at peace. In my Dad’s last hours we talked about my cycling and how I will always feel especially close to him when riding my bike. He knows that one day I will buy a new bike and was planning on calling it Bob, he requested I call it Bobster. This made my heart smile. I am so thankful for the life he lived and for the love he gave my sister and I, and all those who were blessed to know him. I will miss him forever.
Robert (Bob) John Cooper - 27.11.51 - 26.7.20 (68 years)

D R I V I N G  F O R C E: My Dad was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in October 2018. He is my absolute hero and I love him very much (along with all my family!) I want to make him proud and raise awareness of one of the cruelest of diseases. Raising money for MNDA along the way is just a bonus! 

M N D: With MND, messages from the motor neurones gradually stop reaching the muscles. This leads the muscles to weaken, stiffen and waste. MND can affect how you walk, talk, eat, drink and breathe. Not all symptoms will affect everyone, or in the same order. Symptoms also progress at varying speeds, which makes the course of the disease difficult to predict. MND is life-shortening and there is no cure. There is a 1 in 300 risk of getting MND across a lifetime. www.mndassociation.org/about-mnd/what-is-mnd/basic-facts-about-mnd/

U P D A T E S: I will be doing a daily update on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter of my mileage and the people I meet along the way. Social distancing cycle buddies and cycle-bys always welcome. My updates will also include a song from my ‘Dad's Playlist’ which I listen to when cycling alone. So please join me, listen to the music and enjoy the ride! https://www.facebook.com/nathalie.c.dawson

D O N A T E: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/mndanathaliedawsonchallenge42

J U S T  G I V I N G: Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

#challenge42 #1110miles #30days #mnda #lovemydad #TeamMND #bicyclelife