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Gruelling cycle challenge for The Christie

04 Sep 2014

Patrick riding 90 miles a day for 11 days non-stop to cover 1,000 miles

Patrick Hackett

Patrick Hackett, from the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, has embarked on a gruelling 1,000-mile cycle challenge from Bilbao to Manchester to raise money for The Christie Hospital.

To complete the bike trip Patrick will have to cycle an average of 90 miles-a-day over 11 days, non-stop.

Web Project Manager Patrick will also have to travel very light, carrying everything he needs for his solo expedition on his hybrid road bike.

But one item he will be wearing with pride is a specially designed t-shirt featuring a bee – an historic symbol associated with the Engineering and Physical Sciences community at Manchester – and the strapline ‘The World Works Better With Us’.

“I’ve been delighted with the support from my colleagues whose encouragement has convinced me to go for this big challenge - so I hope to keep everyone updated on my progress by posting ‘selfies’ in my branded t-shirt at milestones along the route and then post on social media,” explained Patrick.

Patrick’s cycle challenge will raise funds for The Christie Hospital, which provides a unique mix of cancer care and research.

He will be cycling over 1,000-miles from Bilbao, over the Pyrenees along the French western coast, then boarding a ferry from St Malo across the channel to Plymouth and up through England and Wales to arrive at the front door of The Christie.

If everything goes to plan, Patrick will arrive outside The Christie Hospital on the evening of Wednesday 10 September.

“This trip will be a real personal challenge but this is such an important cause for me,” said Patrick.

“The Christie Hospital serves a regional community which has seen a number of friends leave the hospital able to say they have survived the disease, while others are still receiving treatment.

“In addition to treatment, the calibre of research makes it one of the leading UK powerhouses in the development of new treatments. The Christie is therefore very local but nationally relevant.”