A heatwave and a series of punctures did not stop Martin Bentham in his tracks as he took on an 83-mile cycle challenge around the Isle of Wight.
Martin, Head of Shaftesbury Nash College, cycled from Yarmouth to Ryde and back over two consecutive days in the half term break, with every mile helping to raise funds in support of the college.
Setting off from Yarmouth, the first day’s ride covered 49 miles, following off-road paths and byways across the island and past coastal towns including Ventnor and Shanklin.
A shorter 34-mile ride on day two from Ryde to Yarmouth traversed inland as temperatures soared over 30 degrees.
The heat proved to be one of the most challenging aspects of the ride, said Martin, along with the terrain, which included more than 6,574ft of climbing.
‘The hardest part was the heat and staying hydrated – there’s only so many electrolyte drinks you can stomach. Some of the hills were tough in the heat. Steep climbs on loose gravel and grass are harder than on road surfaces.
‘Being part of a group helped keep me going, and the thought of people donating also spurred me on.’
With the finish line in sight, Martin suffered a series of punctures. ‘We had to stop in a field to do the repair, so it was not a great repair. I ended the ride with a slow puncture, having to stop intermittently to pump it up – but we got there!’
While the punctures hampered the end of the cycle ride, completing the 83 miles, ticked off a challenge initially planned before the Covid-19 pandemic.
‘It took some years to get it in the diary, but once I had committed to it, I wanted to raise money for the students at Nash College,’ said Martin.
‘Seeing the money come in over the two days helped helped me focus on the finish line, I’d check the JustGiving page every time we stopped, that helped for sure and I’d like to thank everybody who donated.’
Thanks to generous donations more than £700 has been raised so far. Some of the funds will be used to purchase a selection of books inspired by the college’s ‘reading for pleasure’ initiative, which supports students to access a variety of books.
To support Martin’s fundraising, visit his JustGiving page.