Team

There’s a few more of us now (!), but here’s the original B2B from 2012 . . .

___________________________________________________________________________________

Robert Wheeler (“Wheelz”)

“At 44 years old I’ll be the oldest rider of the team. I live in Birmingham and I’m married to Beverley with two children (George and Eve).

For me, being more active (AKA mid-life crisis) started in late 2003. My son George is autistic and we’d had support from the National Autistic Society, so I decided that I’d run the London Marathon in 2004 to raise much needed funds. I’d done zero running before and embarked on a training plan to get me round, which I did in just under 5 hours. I wouldn’t say that I’d got the running bug, but I knew it was keeping me fit. So I carried on running little fun runs here and there.

In 2005 I was lucky enough to be able to donate a kidney to my sister Lynda, something I may not have been fit enough to do had I not started running the previous year. It took me a while to get back to fitness and I needed to set myself a target so I decided to enter the Great South Run in 2006 to raise money for Kidney Research.

Mike (Brother), Lynda (Sister) and me post transplant 2006

I kept my running going (running in half-marathons here and there), but in 2008 I decided to take up a new hobby…Musical Theatre (mid-life crisis 2)!!   I joined the Bournville Musical Theatre Company, a brilliant bunch that was being directed at the time by Phil Garner a really great guy. Tragically Phil died in 2009 from a very aggressive brain tumor. Phil’s family had been supported by the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumor Trust and I wanted to do something to support the charity. I put the idea of Kilimanjaro out to the company and I was joined by 5 other company members (Lucy, Verity, Richard, Louise and Jane) for the challenge in January 2011. This was definitely the hardest challenge so far. We all reached the summit in varying degrees of fitness, a really satisfying and heart-warming achievement for us all.

Kili Trekkers – Rob, Lucy, Verity, Richard, Louise and Jane 2011

With all this running and walking my knees were really starting to hurt and when Warren (Foz) asked me “What next?” one night in Hertford, I thought “Cycling! That will be easy on the knees”. After a little discussion we settled on Birmingham to Brussels (B2B). It just so happens that the Brussels beer festival is on when we arrive. What a strange co-incidence! I hadn’t ridden a bike since I was a teenager and I must say haven’t bikes changed, they have two wheels now.

We have decided to try and raise as much money as we can for The Stroke Association. All three of us have been touched by this, my Mom had a stroke a few years back and it really took its toll. It really hit home once again when a friend and colleague Tom Flaherty suffered a crippling stroke at work last year. Tom is now recovering well and is an inspiration to all stroke survivors.

I’m lucky to be part of a great team and I really can’t wait to sit in the Grand Place with Mark, Warren and Clive, supping on a few different beers of the world looking back on a fantastic week in the saddle. Please give as much as you can afford in support of a worthy cause and some very sore bottoms.”

Grand Place – Brussels Beer Festival 2007

___________________________________________________________________________________

Mark Atkinson (“Axle”)

“Currently 37 years old.  I live in Manchester with my girlfriend and have a little boy who is 8.

I’ve worked at Serco in Birmingham for 6 years now and over the last couple of years got to know Warren and Rob better outside of work.  Myself and Rob have completed a couple of the Birmingham marathons (although he’s much faster than me…)

My involvement in the bike ride was originally as a support person, I would go outside for a cigarette with Warren, he’d talk about this “challenge” of him and Rob cycling to Brussels, and I offered to help out with driving a van or fixing punctures…….. Due to the fact that Warren has got to be the most enthusiastic person I know, he talked me into actually doing the ride with them.  So in February this year I headed off to a cycling shop for my first “racer” in over 20 years!  Blimey, how bikes have changed since I last sat on one, the gears used to be on the frame and you’d almost crash when using them, and carbon fibre was something from another planet.  I plumped for a Giant Defy 2, the same as Warren, thinking we’d look cool on matching bikes.

The Giant Defy 2 2011

So with regards to past sporting achievements – Being the son of a Professional Rugby League Player it was inevitable that that’s where I would end up.  So from the age of 13 I played for Golborne Parkside in Leigh (up North!).  It certainly toughened me up and over the years we played some of the best teams in the country.  I even had the pleasure of playing against Andy Farrell a few times, who went on to captain England/Great Britain before switching to Union.  I stopped playing when I struggled to recover from a broken leg, and college studies needed more focus.

At the age of 18 until I was 31 me and my friends played 5-a-side football in a very competitive league in Manchester, this kept me fit and allowed me to blow off some steam after a tough day at work.  Although I think my Rugby background meant that I was the most red-carded player in our team…..

For the last few years I’ve been looking for a fresh challenge each year to keep me fit, so did two half marathons, managed to complete them both but the old knees aren’t what they used to be, especially as I’ve ruptured my cruciate ligaments in both of them playing football.  Cycling seems an obvious sport now.

MAMIL & Proud! (2012)

My family is very close and all of my 4 Grandparents have had Strokes, watching someone you love suffer and not be able to communicate is so frustrating, especially when you can’t help them.  So I’m doing this ride for John, Gertrude, Lydia and Gilbert.  People with whom I have some of my most valuable memories.  In 2006 my dad passed away due to Cancer and I can’t write this without mentioning him.  My hero, and my best mate.

I know it’s going to be hard work and hurt but I’m also sure it’s going to be a week of my life I’ll never forget – Cycling with two mates with another in support on an adventure of a lifetime!”

___________________________________________________________________________________

Warren Thomas (“Foz”)

“I’m going to be 42 at the time of the ride. I live in Stone, Staffs and am married with two daughters.

The appeal of the B2B event came from wanting to do something that demanded training towards a target. Having worked with Rollin’ Robson throughout 2010 and taking in all of his achievements over the last few years, it became clear that I needed to do something well outside of my comfort zone. So, in a hotel bar in Hertfordshire, Rob uttered the words “I quite fancy a bike ride”. I was immediately on board.

Back in ’98, I used to live and ride with a 4-man MTB team known as “Team DT’s”. This included (left to right) the Hippy Dwarf, Large Gin(n), Marvin The Martian and yours truly . . .

Team DT’s 1998 (Trentham)

We lived together in a rented house and rode together whenever we had chance. We entered a number of endurance events (with varied line-ups) including the 24-hour Red Bull Mountain Mayhem & Sleepless In The Saddle, although I think it’s fair to say that Hippy Dwarf was the only team member with enough fitness to be called a ‘competitor’. Team DT’s rode from 1998 to 2001 before we all went our separate ways to get married and have babies . . .

Team DT’s at Red Bull Mountain Mayhem, Sandwell Valley Park, 1999

My only other notable cycling achievement to date was based on another pub conversation, this time with the Hippy Dwarf. Already on the other side of a couple, he uttered those immortal words “we’ve got mountain bikes . . . we should ride up a mountain”. As with most discussions at the local hostelry, this sounded like a great idea.

So we headed off to the foot of Cadair Idris, Snowdonia, and pitched a tent with the clear plan to set off as early as possible the next morning and head for the summit. A glass of red wouldn’t hurt would it ? OK, maybe a bottle, then sleep . . .

What ensued the following day was easily the most arduous ride of my life (to date) . . . 2,930 Feet in 5.5 extremely long hours . . .

Cadair Idris, Snowdonia, 1998

Whilst grueling all the way, the view from the top was spectacular as it was a near perfectly clear day. Then came the 25 minute descent, touching on 40 mph at times. My legs numb from the climb, hands and arms numb from the descent. After traveling back to camp, what followed can only be described as an ‘out-of-body-experience’ whilst my body took about 5 days to forgive me.

So with my last ‘proper’ ride being in 2000, here we are some 12 years later.

I blew the dust off the Marin last July and set off to see what a decade of of very little fitness regime had done to me. It turns out quite a bit, although it felt great to be back in the saddle. In August I committed further by buying my first Roadie and 625 training miles later, we’re starting to look like being on target.

When we started to discuss the cause we’d all be riding for, we very quickly landed on the Stroke Association due to our own personal experiences within our families as well as our shared friend and stroke survivor, Tom Flaherty. My mum has had a number of strokes over the last couple of years, further compounding a number of other serious illnesses. She’s the bravest person I’ve ever met and will never be far from my thoughts when we set out in August.

Please support this extremely worthy cause.”

___________________________________________________________________________________

Clive Woodfield (“The Drive”)

Let’s just say that I am older that the others …… I live in Redditch, married to Sandra and have two children, James and Laura.

The Woodfield family !

I have worked for ITNET/Serco and now Microland in Birmingham for the last 13 years, and have worked closely with Rob, Warren and Mark at various times. They are all hard working, great blokes, and fun loving too.

Now I’m pretty sure that I would not be able to cycle that distance, as my sporting prowess is more aligned to speed and agility, rather than stamina (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it). I used to play football until I broke my leg in 1985, but then took up Indoor Cricket. In more recent years to help to keep myself fit I now play Squash, and I am also a keen walker. I have climbed both Snowdon and Scafell Pike, but have yet to do Ben Nevis. I have also completed a number of British Heart Foundation cycle rides, but they are over a much shorter distance, and pretty flat roads too. So when they told me about their B2B challenge and the cause they were supporting I had to get involved in some capacity.

Clive & Sandra at the Snowdon summit (2010)

My Father-in-Law John has been a Stoke survivor for the past 15 years, and his sister Jean has also been affected by a Stoke too. In addition, a great bloke and shared friend Tom Flaherty was affected by a Stroke last year; he is recovering well now, as Rob has already mentioned an inspiration to all Stroke survivors.

Therefore I will be providing Rob, Warren and Mark much needed logistical support over the 5 days of their cycle ride, as this is the least I can do to help with this challenge and extremely worthy cause. Not quite sure what that entails, but I’m sure I’ll find out more as we plan over the next few weeks and months …….

___________________________________________________________________________________