'Experience of a lifetime' – Elgin cyclist's epic ride raises £2400 for cause close to heart
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AN ELGIN traffic cop’s 1000-mile cycle in honour of his wife and daughter has raised nearly £2400.
Stuart Dick cycled from Lands End to John O’Groats over 10 days, from June 1 to June 10, raising money for the National Autistic Society.
Stuart and Anne also believe their daughter Astrid (4) may be autistic, and her nursery – which hosted a cake sale to support Stuart’s fundraising – has put measures in place to support her.
The cycle, which began on Stuart’s 41st birthday, raised £2390, nearly two-and-a-half times the £1000 target.
“It was definitely the experience of a lifetime and it still hasn’t sunk in that I have cycled from one end of the country to the top,” Stuart said.
“I wasn’t expecting the emotional and mental side of the challenge to be so hard, rather than just my legs and my bum getting sore.
“It’s amazing what the human body and the mind can do.
“I feel really feel kind of privileged to have been able to do it and raise money for the National Autistic Society.”
Starting before 6am every day, Stuart’s longest daily distance came through a 127-mile stint where he did not reach his accommodation until 9pm.
The physical onslaught meant his body went into a “fight or flight mode”, where he lost his appetite and could eat only for fuel.
However, on the third day, a smoked sausage supper and a cold bottle of Fanta Lemon restored his appetite.
Despite battling a headwind throughout the whole journey he did enjoy sunny weather throughout which, due to his fingerless riding gloves, turned his fingertips brown while the rest of his hands stayed white.
His shortest day – the 74-mile final push to John O’Groats was rewarded with cheers and waving Scotland flags, courtesy of his dad, stepmum, stepbrother, his stepbrother’s girlfriend, Anne and Astrid – as well as some friendly bikers inspired to join in after hearing about the challenge.
Throughout his journey, Stuart saw donations flooding in, along with support from family and his Instagram followers, on his handlebar-mounted phone
“That was definitely encouraging,” he said.
“I can’t believe that people have actually been so supportive to be fair.
“You think you might raise some money, but to raise as much as I have is just totally overwhelming to be far.”
Throughout the journey, Stuart met followers of his cycling Instagram page, GBScotland, who rode alongside him for sections, with some even staying overnight to continue cycling.
Despite finishing his journey only two days before a family holiday to Mallorca, Stuart took a bike with him – though a different one to the bike he completed his challenge on.
However he limited his cycling to short morning rides, to maintain an ongoing challenge to cycle every day in 2023.
He said: “It was nice to get some R&R and give my butt a rest, you know?”
Stuart, who went viral last year for a video ringing his bike's bell, said the kindness of strangers he met on his trip had “reinstated my faith in humanity.”
On one day, passers-by checked in four separate times, helping him fix his bike and donating cash.
“I was totally blown away, very emotional.” he said.
