Aylesbury man 'to cycle Everest' for Pace Centre and Action4Youth

Guy, 38, is no stranger to a tough cycling challenge, is training to compete in the world’s toughest bicycle race - the 3,000 mile Race Across America, in 2022 has been finding ways to keep training hard even though many events and races have been cancelled.

This challenge will push Guy higher, and harder, than ever before. Every Friday for the next four weeks will see Guy take on a different version of the 'Everesting' challenge alongside his full-time job.

Guy has already completed the first challenge, using the indoor cycling app Zwift to virtually climb the required 8848m. The app simulates the real experience of cycling outdoors and saw him cycling around 200km in just over 16hrs hours.

Guy will use local hill, Whiteleaf near Princes Risborough, to complete the second and third challenges. On the 18th Guy attempted the first however mechanical issues with his bike meant he had to stop after just 19 ascents.

Undeterred and unrelenting, Guy returns to Whiteleaf Hill this Friday to complete 79 laps of the hill to achieve the required 10,000 vertical metres.

For the final challenge Guy will take to the roads and hills of North Devon as he aims to climb a final 10,000 metres in less than 36 hours, with a minimum of 400km covered.

Individually these are some of the most difficult climbing challenges a cyclist can take on but combining them over the course of 4 weeks is pretty daunting.

Guy said: "Every pedal stroke is going to be a challenge, but that's what I live for, achieving something that pushes me to my very limit."

Guy has faced his own challenges in recent years and found cycling as a way to find a way through depression and the breakdown of his marriage.

He continued: "Cycling has saved my life, I was suffering badly with anxiety and depression and used the crossroads in my life to do and be something different. These endurance challenges have helped me to tackle my depression head on, to talk about it openly and to put myself in control of how I feel. But I wanted to make sure that this wasn't a selfish pursuit, that someone else should benefit from these challenges."

Guy believes everyone should have the chance to reach their potential, no matter what their background is or the challenges and obstacles they may face in their life.

He added: "This journey has been about challenging myself, to inspire others to do the same and together to make a positive change in our local communities."

Guy will be doing the challenges for The Pace Centre, and Action4Youth.

PACE

Pace is a school in Aylesbury, Bucks, dedicated to transforming the lives of children up to the age of 18 with motor disorders such as cerebral palsy.

The charity is founded on the belief that every child has the ability to learn and make progress, whatever physical or sensory challenges they face.

A group of specialist teachers and therapists create programmes to support each of the 107 pupils and their families, helping them to unlock their potential.

Action4Youth

Action4Youth is a leading charity providing positive, often transformational experiences and activities to inspire children and young people. It delivers outstanding outdoor education though its adventure activity centre in Caldecotte, Milton Keynes, which offers a range of learning and adventure activities and exceptional facilities for these with additional needs.

He said: "I just want to make more people aware that schools and organisations like this exist- that they change the lives of the children and young people they support, but that they need funding to keep doing this amazing work."