Warwick cyclist clocking up thousands of miles for charity

Darren Walden, who is the deputy head of Avon Valley School in Rugby, has taken on a year-long mammoth cycling challenge in order to support the British Red Cross’s work in Syria.

His original goal was to cycle 5,480 miles, the approximate distance from his home in Warwick to Aleppo and back again.

Having already hit 3,000 miles he has upped the target to 7,000 miles but the motivation remains the same.

As well as his cycle ride, Darren has also committed to giving up alcohol for 2017 to help raise money.

He told the school’s journalism club: “My inspiration has come from a few different directions but my drive to raise money for the British Red Cross originally stemmed from watching a documentary called The White Helmets about a group of volunteers who rescue civilians from their bombed homes in the Syrian city of Aleppo.

As a keen cyclist Mr Walden is no stranger to physical challenges.

On the May 7 he, along with a small group of friends, completed the Fred Whitton Challenge, which is a gruelling 112-mile route in the Lake District, and is a ride which is widely recognised to be the hardest cycling sportive in the UK.

So far Darren raised £856 and is nearing his £1,000 target on his JustGiving page.

He added: “Raising money and getting people to donate is sometimes difficult, but hopefully I can do my part to help make the lives of others in the more challenging parts of the world a bit better.”

Anyone wishing to donate to Darren’s fundraising page can do so by going to: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Darren-Walden1