Kit Alexander and Johnny Hawe are Cycling from Britain to Greece. Why? Read on...
Earlier this academic year Kit had to undergo surgery on his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), a part of his knee, because of a bad sporting accident. Unfortunately, he contracted septic arthritis in the process, a rare and serious condition that left him in an extremely poor state of health and which required nine further operations. He was forced to defer his final year of university due to his condition. However, due to the dedication of his doctors, he was put on the road to recovery.
The Hyperbaric Chamber on the Isle of Man was crucial to that recovery. It provides 98% oxygen therapy to a wide range of patients suffering from injuries and chronic medical conditions across the whole North West of the UK. He was in there twice a day for a number of weeks and knows it had a great impact on his recovery, reducing the seriousness of his recent bone graft. However, while the Chamber costs over £150,000 a year to run and maintain, it only receives a £90,000 budget from the Government. It is crucial to so many people that we keep it open by filling that shortfall and Kit aims to help do that.
On the 6th of May he will set off from Dover along with his companion, Johnny with the aim of cycling to the city of Zakynthos in Greece, the spot where he was first injured, by the 10th of June. The journey is over 1,800 miles and will take him through France, Italy and Switzerland on the way. By doing this he hopes to financially support the people who have helped him through this difficult year and all of the people he met at the Chamber who are still in need of help. Johnny will be cycling in support of Help for Heroes, a British charity launched on the 1st October 2007 to help provide better facilities for wounded British service personnel.
To find out more go to www.lifecycleblog.org
JP catches up with Kit and Johnny
