Hobart warewash marketing manager, Chris Birch, is to yet again compete in the Springboard Charity’s 240-mile Team Velo London to Paris Cycle Challenge, raising vital funds for young and disadvantaged people in hospitality.
The Hobart man has been training hard in his spare time, including gruelling climbs into the Andalusian mountains, with a target of raising £500 for Springboard.
This will be the third charity cycling challenge undertaken by Birch, having successfully completed the Team Velo Challenge in 2015. In 2011, he also raced from Hobart’s Paris offices to its Peterborough HQ – a trip of almost 400 miles in just three days. He also turns 49 during the race itself.
He has set up a Just Giving page for donations here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Chris-Birch10
Birch said: “Even as an avid cycler, The Team Velo Challenge takes serious dedication and effort and I hope that with my preparation, 2016 will be the fastest time yet. Having worked in hospitality for the past 27 years, at both operational and supply level, I have seen the important work Springboard does for those facing barriers into our industry – and know that, despite the tired legs, we will, with every rotation, be helping to create more pathways into this fantastic industry.”
Taking place on the 22nd-24th September 2016, Springboard’s Team Velo Challenge will see 25 teams of all abilities race from the capital to the Eiffel Tower. Each team will be able to choose their own route from one checkpoint to the next and will be monitored on a tracking device so that support vehicles can provide them with essential energy boosts and additional provisions.
To find out more go to: http://www.teamvelochallenge.com/
