Ben's Story: The London to Paris Cycle

Fundraising hero Ben took on the 2019 London to Paris Cycle to raise money for GOSH Charity after his daughter, Jess, underwent lifesaving heart surgery at Great Ormond Street. Now he’s encouraging as many people as possible to sign up for the 2020 challenge! Ben is also a keen photographer, and took all of the amazing photos below.

"In 2018, my daughter underwent life saving heart surgery at Great Ormond Street. The London to Paris cycle was an opportunity for me to give something back to GOSH and say thank you to all the incredible doctors, nurses and staff that cared for Jess. Jess still has ongoing monitoring at the hospital."

"Without a doubt the best part of the ride was meeting and riding with the other team members and hearing all their stories of how they came to be involved. It's a hugely rewarding challenge for many reasons, not least that it's for a very worthwhile cause. You are thrown together with a group of people that you’ve never met before, but whom you all have a common bond. We very quickly forged friendships and many of us are still in touch today. Whether you are doing the ride for personal reasons or you simply want to take on the London to Paris challenge, it will be an experience that will stay with you forever."

"The most challenging part of our ride was dealing with the extreme heat which hit us on the first and second days. Apart from that, I’d say its the distance each day which is the challenge. I threw myself in to the training and used it as an excuse to improve my road cycling. The training regime that was sent by the GOSH team was helpful. I joined a local cycle club and rode with them on weekends. I found riding with others a big help. Also, 7am spinning classes at my local gym, although nearly killing me, definitely improved my fitness!"

"The support team were superb. The ride is a challenge whatever your ability, so to have the regular water and snack stops along with the support team encouragement made the ride much more manageable."

"Over half my fundraising was done on social media; Instagram and Facebook. I also emailed clients and work colleagues directly making sure each email was personalised rather than a mass group mailout. I found people were much more responsive to being approached individually. I did 2 or 3 rounds of emails to make sure people didn’t (couldn’t!) forgot about it."

"Its much more than just a long bike ride!" says Ben.

Our four-day challenge covers 300 miles of beautiful countryside, through the picturesque hills of Kent and the stunning villages of northern France. Starting in Chessington, Greater London, the route weaves its way out to the coast along country roads, passing through picturesque market towns and the rolling Surrey Hills. Once across the channel, immerse yourself in the French countryside with peaceful hamlets and wooded valleys paving the way. On day four, the finish line awaits in the shape of the iconic Eiffel Tower.