Zac’s grand challenge for FORCE
A Devon IT specialist is about to set out on the longest and most demanding of four fundraising challenges for his local cancer support charity.
Zac Nashed from Ashburton will set out on Sunday (July 16) to cycle 1,000 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
He is raising money for FORCE Cancer Charity, the Exeter-based organisation that offers free support to local people dealing with a cancer diagnosis.
Zac, who works for the BBC, has already smashed his initial fundraising target of £500 after riding 60 miles in The Smuggler sportive and 100 miles in FORCE’s annual Nello event during June.
After the LEJOG expedition, Zac will complete his quartet of challenges by taking part in the Weymouth Ironman in September.
Enjoyed
“It all happened after a conversation over a couple of beers about turning 50. I’ve always enjoyed cycling and I wanted to do something that really challenged me,” said Zac.
He is riding from the most westerly point of mainland England to the tip of Scotland with three friends from Bovey Tracey – Dave Rickhuss, Chris Stoppard and Richard Ayre.
They will be part of a group that includes cyclists from all over the world including the USA and Canada, all aiming to ride up to 80 miles a day before finishing at John O’Groats on Sunday July 30.
They will get special encouragement after Day 2 of the ride when they reach Moretonhampstead, where Zac’s wife, Rachel, and teenage children Jem and Tula will join them for dinner.
Zac is looking forward to testing himself on one of the world’s most iconic cycle tours.
Goal
“Cycling is a way for me to unwind and destress and it’s been good to have these events to focus my training on and have a goal,” said Zac.
That goal is to raise as much as he can for FORCE.
“My mum passed way to cancer quite a long time ago. Macmillan offered fantastic end of life support and I think very fondly of them and have raised money for them previously. However, I would like to do something for a smaller, local charity as I live in Devon,” he said.
“Someone I used to work with had leg cancer at a relatively young age and he told me how brilliant FORCE was in supporting him and his family,” he added.
Zac was impressed with the range of free support offered by FORCE, including individual counselling for cancer patients and family members to complementary therapies and exercise advice, plus funding for local research projects and the purchase of equipment for cancer treatment.
You can support his fundraising efforts at justgiving.com/page/zachary-nashed
The picture above features (left to right): Richard Ayre, Zac Nashed, Dave Rickhuss and Chris Stoppard; below it’s Zac, Dave, Chris and Richard.
