Actor Lyndon Ogbourne introduces his latest charitable endeavour
Inspired by the excitement of the success of Bradley Wiggins in the Tour de France and spurred on by the 2012 Olympic buzz, I set myself the challenge at the beginning of June to start training for a cycling expedition of well over 600 miles travelling from Bordeaux to Nice. It’s not quite the Tour de France but as a cycling novice, this journey feels like it will be a long, long trip.
I’ve always been a keen sportsman and have successfully tackled the London Marathon. I felt like a broken man for a fortnight afterwards. I’ve also completed the London Triathlon and nearly drowned in the Thames, but after the first week of training for this mammoth task, I began to realise that this would be my biggest challenge to date.
Far from the Dales and far from the comparatively comfortable stress of performing on stage, I started to understand that my cycle ride was going to push me to my physical and mental limits and this is where Cadence Cycle Performance Centre came in.
Over the next few weeks, I’m going to give a physical and emotional account of my intense training with the phenomenal Cadence team. I will chart the mileage, the stresses, the muscle stains, cuts and bruises, the tears (oh come on, I’m an actor, I’m allowed a few) and the hopefully immense jubilation as I venture on this solo mission. I’ll keep you up to date with photos and video diaries as well as graphs and maps. My mission will hopefully it will inspire you to get on your bike, put the stresses of life on hold and get out on the open road.
The main purpose of my journey is to raise funds for the Once Upon a Smile. Here is a worthy charity that provides support for families who have suffered the loss of a parent or child from a long term or terminal illness. It means so much to me. Please take a moment to click the link below, donate and help me raise money for this fantastic cause.
Once Upon a Smile: http://www.onceuponasmile.org.uk
Cadence Performance: http://www.cadenceperformance.com
To donate, go to: http://www.justgiving.com/Lyndon-Ogbourne