Nick Cole, a 68-year-old stroke survivor from London, has pedalled 100 miles in one month on his recumbent bike and in his home gym to raise £370 for Calvert Trust Exmoor, the North Devon charity that inspired him to take up accessible cycling. This is the second year in a row that Nick has cycled 100 miles for the charity after he raised £280 in 2020.
A stroke in 2009 changed Nick’s busy life forever, but he wanted to continue his love of cycling. However, Nick felt lop-sided with limited mobility and describes his mental state as being “like a jigsaw has dropped and you need to find the scatted pictures.” Therefore, he could not use a regular two-wheeled bike.
Nick was introduced to accessible cycling at Calvert Trust Exmoor. The centre provides accessible adventure breaks for people with physical, learning, sensory and behavioural disabilities, and Nick visited with his wife in 2015 to help with his ongoing stroke recovery. He enjoyed several activities but using an adaptive bike was his highlight.
“I resolved to ‘Never Give Up’, the motto that still keeps me pedalling to this day! My first experience of what would go on to be my passion, recumbent cycling, was at Calvert Trust Exmoor. Finally, I could safely get the adrenaline pumping by hooning around at hair-raising speeds. I came straight home and bought my recumbent trike and haven’t stopped since,” Nick said.
After Calvert Trust Exmoor temporarily closed due to Covid-19 in 2020, Nick was keen to get involved with fundraising and wanted to raise money to ensure the charity could continue its work in the future. “Crucial funds were needed to cover essential and unavoidable costs like updating equipment, caring for the horses and maintaining the fabric of the centre,” said Nick.
Then, when Calvert Trust Exmoor launched a 25th Birthday Fundraising Appeal was launched this year, he wanted to get involved once again to raise what he could.
Calvert Trust Exmoor wishes to thank Nick for his fundraising efforts. “Nick’s continued strength and determination to keep going and keep improving himself is amazing, he should be very proud. It’s been great to have him raising crucial funds for us during the pandemic. The whole team thanks Nick for raising £560 in less than two years. We wish Nick all the best for the future and whatever he decides to do next,” said Joe Dale, Marketing Executive.