Claire sets cycle target at £50k

Paralysed mum Claire Lomas, who plans to cycle hundreds of miles and visit dozens of schools in April, has set her fund-raising target at £50,000.

Claire, who completed the London Marathon last year despite being paralysed from the chest down, has a specially-adapted bike which she will cycle 400 miles around England, accompanied along the way by celebrities including Denise Lewis, Gethin Jones and long-jumper Greg Rutherford.

She will be visiting about 40 primary and secondary schools to talk to pupils about the importance of fighting on through adversity and enjoying an active lifestyle.

Her aim is to set off on April 22 and cycle for about 20 days. Claire, 32, of Eye Kettleby, near Melton, has already raised £15,000 for Spinal Research.

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She said: "We've already had a lot of money in and we've had a lot of support from companies.

"Marriott has agreed to provide free accommodation each night for the four of us who are cycling the whole way, which is brilliant and will save us so much money.

"The Marriott hotel in Peterborough is also planning to host a Champagne and canapes night when we're there to raise extra money.

"Sturgess of Leicester is providing us with a van to use as a support vehicle, which means we can have spare bikes and things, which is brilliant."

To get people in Leicestershire and Rutland involved, Claire will be leading a sponsored cycle around Rutland water on Sunday, April 7.

She said: "We're going to have people cycling the 25-mile and the 17-mile courses around Rutland Water and, afterwards, there will be a hog roast and we'll get people together to have lots of fun.

"Quite a few people have wanted to join in with my training so this will allow them to do that and help raise money."

Cyclists will pay £5 each to take part and can either use their own bikes or rent bikes at Rutland Water.

The event is expected to start at about 10am but the details have not yet been finalised.

After her feat at the London Marathon last year, Claire hopes the media coverage she receives on the 400-mile ride will help her surpass her fund-raising goal of £50,000.

She said: "The coverage makes a big difference to what we can raise and we've set our target at £50,000, which I think is definitely achievable.

"All the coverage will also mean we can encourage even more children to get involved in sport and show them that you can still do well and still live a happy life even when things don't go as planned."

To make a donation, visit:

www.justgiving.com/ claire-lomas