Storm Amy has affected a charity ride in West Cumbria.
Intrepid octogenarian cyclist Gerard McCarten from Hensingham in Whitehaven had just embarked on his latest epic fundraiser.
He’s dubbed the venture Out of this World as he attempts to ride the equivalent distance of the summit of Olympus Mons, the tallest mountain in the universe which rises to 23,000 metres above the surface of Mars.
Day three had to be curtailed because of the adverse weather conditions.
He completed the ride on his grandson’s mountain bike which had lower gears than his own road bike and braked more securely in the wet.
It meant he has completed 1,811 metres of climbing, which is some 455 metres behind schedule.
Gerard’s determination to complete this extraordinary feat is deeply rooted in personal tragedy.
He is cycling in loving memory of his wife, Margaret, who endured having severely impaired sight for more than 40 years and died on October 9 2023 after a prolonged battle with bronchiectasis, a debilitating lung condition.
Adding to the poignancy of this challenge, Gerard will also be paying tribute to his daughter, Lesley, who succumbed to breast cancer in August.
To support Gerard, donate at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/gerard-mccarten-out-of-this-world
