A Warwick man is looking to pedal his way to glory in one of the world’s biggest cycling events and raise money to tackle meningitis at the same time
Ed Cooke, 50, from Hampton Magna, has been inspired to take on the 100-mile Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 challenge for us on Sunday 4 August, after his father-in-law Gavin became ill with the disease.
After originally being diagnosed with gastroenteritis, further tests revealed that Gavin had the rare streptococcus suis type II meningitis. Thankfully he went on to make a good recovery but has been left with some lifelong after-effects, including partial hearing loss and chronic joint pain.
A future without meningitis“An earlier diagnosis may have helped to reduce the long-term effects,” Ed said, “which is why I’m so keen to fundraise for Meningitis Now and support their research and awareness work."
“We need a future without meningitis-related illness and death.”
Ed’s hoping to raise £750 towards the charity’s lifesaving and life-changing work through the challenge. You can support his efforts by visiting his fundraising page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ed-cooke-2019.
Starting in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, the 100-mile RideLondon-Surrey 100 route combines traffic-free roads, winding country lanes and leg-testing climbs. It passes some of London’s most iconic landmarks and Surrey’s most spectacular countryside, providing an unforgettable experience for amateur and professional cyclists alike.
Sign up
If you’d like to join Ed and be part of our #TeamTangerine at the event, visit our RideLondon-Surrey 100 page to sign up.
Kirsty Owen-Hayward, Events Fundraiser at Meningitis Now, said, “We’d like to thank Ed for joining our #TeamTangerine for the RideLondon-Surrey 100 challenge and everything he’s doing to support our work."
“We wish him well with his training and on the day itself."
“His efforts will make a real difference to those who are at risk from meningitis and those whose lives have already been changed forever because of it.”
