Birmingham Vets Now vet Lynne raises money for womens’ cancers
Two experienced vets have successfully completed a gruelling bike ride in aid of women’s cancer charities – less than a year after completing a similarly inspiring challenge.
On 25 May, after months of training, Lynne Faulconbridge and her friend Jo Day hit the road for Ride the Night, a 63-mile (100 km) cycle challenge starting from Windsor Racecourse then touring the dark streets and landmarks of central London.
Lynne, who is a veterinary surgeon at Vets Now’s Birmingham clinic and Jo, fellow veterinary surgeon and owner of Vets4Pets in Dudley, saw a beautiful sunrise over Runnymede before finishing back in Windsor in a time of five and three-quarter hours.
In total, the pair raised over £1000 for three charities – Breast Cancer Care, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust and Ovarian Cancer Action.
This feat is all the more remarkable given they also took on a 44-mile cycle challenge to raise money for mental health charity Vetlife last October.
Lynne was inspired to sign up for the Ride the Night in support of all women affected by cancer.
She explained: “I have a close family member and several friends who have been diagnosed with and treated for women’s cancers. We wanted to do something challenging to help in the fight against these diseases and honour all the courageous ladies going through treatment.”
Although the challenge had a serious goal, the event itself – described as the UK’s largest female-only cycling challenge – appears to have been a fun-filled affair.
“Around 1400 ladies took part in the event, festooned with pink clothing, accessories, flashing lights and flowers,” Lynne said.
“Highlights included cycling down the Mall to Buckingham Palace, crossing the Thames several times, seeing the London Eye, Tate Gallery, Westminster – and the cakes at 4 am!”
Lynne has worked at Vets Now for over two years and says she enjoys the work-life balance that allows her to take part in cycling charity events.
And while Lynne and Jo certainly deserve a well-earned rest, these incredible clinicians have no plans to slow down. With more challenges planned for 2020, it will be exciting to see what they take on next.
