A CYCLING duo who cycled 450 kilometres through Vietnam and Cambodia have helped to raise almost £12,000 for Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
Paul Hampson and John Hughes, of Summerhill Road, Onchan, aren’t stopping there – they have already signed up to their next charity challenge – cycling alongside the Great Wall of China in April.
For their first challenge, the pair, who are the owners of Hampson Hughes Solicitors, in Liverpool, were joined by three employees.
The money raised cycling to Angkor Wat was donated to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital’s Imagine Appeal, which aims to improve the quality of life for children in hospital by providing the latest medical equipment, improving the environment and facilities and funding essential research.
They chose the charity as one of Paul’s friends has a son with severe birth defects and has been treated there since birth.
Paul, aged 33, said: ‘The cycling was tough as the temperature was around 38-40C each day.
‘There was not a lot of cloud so we had to wear plenty of sunscreen and cover up as much as possible. So the hardest thing was dealing with the heat.’
He said: ‘The scenery changed between rice fields as far as the eye can see and small paths that went through jungle tracks.
‘As we were in the Mekong Delta we cycled across lots of bridges with one of the group falling in the river on one occasion. Vietnam was very rural and we stayed in the provincial capital towns along the route.’
He said it was the local people that made the trip: ‘As we cycled through rural areas in every single home the families came out of their homes to shout “hello” and wish us good luck.’
Paul and John, aged 32, worked up to their trip – which took place in November – by spending their weekends doing long practice cycles, working up to 120k. They also spent five hours a week in the gym.
Paul and John are now working towards their next trip, which is also to raise money for Alder Hey. Paul said: ‘We are really looking forward to this and have been training at weekend it the Isle of Man. We have not been to China yet and cycling across a country is a great way to see the country and its people.’’
Later this year they also hope to complete a challenge in aid of an island charity.
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