Friends Raise Hospice Funds via 10,000km African Cycling Challenge

Two friends have raised over £9,400 for St Elizabeth Hospice by completing a 10,000km cycle ride through Africa, with donations still coming in.

Cam Wheeler and Robin Hutchinson completed this fantastic fundraising challenge in memory of Cam’s brother, Ali, who was supported by the independent Suffolk charity in 2013, before his death aged 24 after being diagnosed with a rare form of sarcoma.

Cam and Robin’s challenge saw them begin on 12 December starting from Addis Ababa in Ethiopia, before making their way to Cape Town in South Africa, as part of a journey which culminated with them finishing in April.

Cam, who lives near Framlingham, said: “Our challenge was incredible, a proper adventure that’ll stay with us forever. Every country felt completely different – the landscapes, cultures, people, food, even the weather – so it felt like a constant stream of new experiences.

“For me, my highlights were Iten in Kenya at the top of the Great Rift Valley, Botswana where we saw lots of elephants from the bicycles and the Cederberg in South Africa where we had some big, off-road climbs up and down the mountains.

“Doing this challenge in memory of Ali made it all the more special. I found myself thinking about him a lot on the bike, especially on the harder days, and it felt like he was there with me in some way.

“A huge thank you to all who donated or sent messages of support – it genuinely meant so much to us. Knowing there was a steady flow of donations coming in really helped keep us going, especially on the tougher days. “

Kelly Nekrews, Community Fundraising Manager at St Elizabeth Hospice, said: “Wow! A huge well done to Cam and Robin with completing this amazing challenge.

“The whole hospice team loved following your epic journey over the last few months. A truly unique fundraising challenge and every penny you raised will make such a difference to the patients and families our teams are privileged support.”