Article Source: My Name'5 Doddie Foundation
Last Updated: 30 January 2024 14:52
From 1st to 8th March, a group of seven friends - including wine experts, owners and chefs from some of the UK’s best restaurants - will cycle over 2700 km from Edinburgh to Rome, climbing over 27,000 meters in altitude, all in aid of Motor Neurone Disease charity ‘My Name’5 Doddie Foundation’.
The cycle will begin at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium, continuing through London, rural France and trailing the Apennine mountains of Italy before descending into the group’s final destination at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico. Riding in a continuous relay, through the night, elements and mountains, the team aims to complete the cycle by 5pm on 8th March - which will require maintaining an average speed of 17mph.
Brought together by a mutual drive of raising vital funds and awareness of this degenerative, incurable disease, the team includes Edinburgh native and Berry Bros. & Rudd Senior Buyer Davy Żyw, who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) five years ago aged 30. Despite progressive onset of the condition, Żyw, a passionate cyclist, will join the team for the last leg of the journey from Sisteron to Rome. This is just one cycle undertaken by Żyw since his diagnosis: in 2020 he completed the North Coast 500 in just four days, and in 2022 he cycled the ‘High 5’, a 275 mile route over the five highest roads in Scotland, raising over £150,000.
Joining Żyw is his childhood friend James Porteous, owner of Edinburgh’s Electric Spirit Co; James Snowdon, owner of The Palmerston and co-owner of Lannan in Edinburgh; Seamus Sharkey, Head of Beverage at JKS restaurant group; Shaun Searley, Executive Chef at London’s Quality Chop House; Davy’s colleague at Berry Bros. & Rudd, Matt Jones, who has planned the entire route; and Dubai-based Greg Shevill who will be flying over to complete the challenge.
The cycle forms part of My Name’5 Doddie’s wider All Roads Lead to Rome campaign, with over 50,000 participants expected to take part throughout the year.
My Name’5 Doddie was set up by Scottish rugby legend Doddie Weir who was diagnosed with MND in 2017, and later passed away in 2022. The charity is committed to a world free of MND and has already raised over £11m to support research projects and treatments - and ultimately work towards finding a cure. They also focus on raising awareness of the disease and being a voice for people with MND and their families.
Details for how to support the cycle can be found at justgiving.com/team/cowboystew. You can follow the group’s journey live at @rideformnd.
@rideformnd
@myname5doddie
@doddie_aid
Image: James Snowdon, Davy Żyw and James Porteous.
Image credit: Tim Edgeler
A spectacular multimedia show celebrating Vincent van Gogh's life and stunning artworks is coming to Glasgow this summer!
READ MORENational Theatre of Scotland launches a new interactive map for Scotland to demonstrate its love for the Big Yin, inviting people to share their own Billy Connolly memories.
READ MORETouring Scotland from June, the cast is announced for Hen Night Horror, an original musical comedy that promises to put the willies right up ye!
READ MOREAldi Scotland's popular 'Best Home Bar' competition has returned for another year, with a year's supply of beer up for grabs!
READ MOREPaisley Food and Drink Festival returns to the town this weekend for a two-day feastival with plenty for everyone to sample and enjoy.
READ MOREWith a staggering 14 million adults in the UK unable to swim, the team behind The Learn to Swim National Framework has launched a new campaign to encourage adults in Scotland to learn the life skill.
READ MORENow in its 30th year, the show is the go-to exhibition for any self-builders or renovators looking for practical tips, expert advice, or the chance to view 1000s of products.
READ MORELatest investigations by National Trust for Scotland archaeologists at Culloden Battlefield have recovered a wide range of artefacts.
READ MOREThe Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) Scottish Game Fair (SGF) is back for 2024, celebrating its 35-year anniversary at Scone Palace.
READ MOREDobbies, the UK's leading garden centre, is inviting plant enthusiasts and foodies alike to a brand new Afternoon Tea and Planting Experience at its stores nationwide.
READ MOREThis year's Springfest, set to take place this weekend, has been postponed due to forecasted high winds.
READ MOREHistoric Environment Scotland (HES) has announced that over twenty sites across the country are set to reopen their doors to visitors this weekend.
READ MOREJoin Diabetes Scotland for a virtual event about an exciting new programme supporting children and young people 11 - 25 living with type 1 diabetes - Together Type 1.
READ MOREA local pupil from Pathhead Primary School in Kirkcaldy is the winner of Miller Homes’ first ever Easter hard hat design competition, the homebuilder’s take on the traditional Easter bonnet.
READ MORENoughties stars The Cheeky Girls, Gareth Gates and S Club 7's Bradley McIntosh have taken a sip back in time to mark the release of IRN-BRU's new 2000s-inspired flavours!
READ MOREDobbies is welcoming families along to 68 of its stores this Easter to enjoy an array of free activities, including its Little Seedlings Club workshop and Easter Holiday sessions.
READ MOREThe search is on to find the best of the best in Scottish tourism as the Scottish Thistles Awards returns.
READ MOREThis year's FREE Springfest is playing host to two great Scottish chefs – Niall Murray and Rohan Wadke, who will inspire visitors with their FREE cooking demonstrations.
READ MOREA host of brand-new family favourites are landing at Vue this Easter, meaning there are plenty of opportunities to spend quality family time at the big screen during the holidays.
READ MORESpring is in the air and with it comes the return of one of Scotland's largest outdoor food and drink festivals to Paisley!
READ MOREFull cast and creatives announced for the tour of Maggie & Me, the first stage adaptation of Damian Barr's award-winning memoir touring UK in May and June!
READ MOREDobbies today launches Dobbies Community Gardens, to offer support for community and charity groups across the UK to help transform, restore or start their indoor or outdoor green spaces.
READ MOREA sinister story involving 'stovies' and a grisly tale about the strange sheep of Greshornish have been chosen as the winning and runner-up stories in The Glencairn Glass crime short story competition
READ MOREThe National Trust for Scotland is going hopping mad for Easter and hosting a bumper 35 Easter egg trails at the special places in its care this spring.
READ MOREGreat Run 2024 series highlights inspirational stories from runners around the UK.
READ MOREDobbies, the UK's leading garden centre, is bringing back its much-loved Easter event, inviting families to hop along to their nearest store and enjoy an Easter Bunny Breakfast egg-stravaganza.
READ MOREFriday 8th March marks International Women's Day and to celebrate Vue is set to screen four inspiring films which follow the achievements of incredible female leads.
READ MORENew research released by VisitScotland reveals the growing popularity of Scottish traditional music, finding that over a third of Scots (34%) are listening to it more often in the past year.
READ MOREA stellar line-up of authors are set to take Paisley by storm at this year's Paisley Book Festival in April!
READ MOREThe AJ Bell Great Scottish Run is back on Saturday 5th and Sunday 6th October, and the Earlybird offer to save up to £8 off your entry ends this Friday 1st March at 10am.
READ MORE