Cyclist takes on epic challenge in support of his best friend

10 August 2020 | Fundraising

Matthew Budd is raising funds for Brain Tumour Support by attempting to cycle the GB Divide, an epic route from Lands’ End to John O’Groats which uses mainly unpaved tracks and features many climbs and technical descents.

The arduous journey will see Matthew cycle 130-180km every day and carry all of his own equipment for camping along the way.

He will be starting in Cornwall on 17 August 2020 and hopes to complete the journey in under 15 days. The route uses mainly unpaved roads and tracks.

The route

“The route goes the non-direct way and via all the hills. It is 2000km in distance, and 27,080m of climbs – that’s equivalent to three Everest summits, and then some,” says Matthew. “I’ve been training and I have cycled 200km in one day, but I have not done this on subsequent days, so I have no idea how I will get on.”

The motivation

His motivation is his best mate Ben, whom Matthew has known since they were both 12 years old.

“Ben and his family are like a second family to me. I’ll never forget when I heard Ben had been diagnosed with a brain tumour,” says Matthew. “How he deals with all the challenges he faces is remarkable and he always amazes me. I wanted to do something in his honour and he asked me to choose Brain Tumour Support because the charity has helped him so much.”

Support Matthew

Matthew has set up a fundraising page and says that seeing donations come in will be a massive motivator on the long gruelling days in the saddle.

Together We Are Stronger Appeal

Matthew has joined Brain Tumour Support’s Together We Are Stronger Appeal because he wants to help ensure that the charity can continue to help people like his best friend Ben.