A DEAF teenager from York has cycled more than 1,300 miles to raise money for a local charity.
Chris MacDonald, 18, has been a member of Lollipop, a charity for deaf and hearing-impaired youngsters, for the last seven years.
He set out on August 1 from Aberdeen, with a final destination of York, via St Ives, Cornwall.
Chris, who has been profoundly deaf since the age of three, has raised just over £1,665 for the charity.
Chris said: “There are too many hills in Scotland – we had to push quite a bit.
“It was a bit difficult at first. We decided to go on a two-lane motorway, which wasn’t nice, and the weather made it very – very hard.”
Chris set off on the journey with school friend Lucas Wetherill, who sadly had to pull out of the challenge on doctor’s orders after contracting severe tonsillitis four days in. Lucas said: “I was very disappointed not to be able to carry on. I’m pleased that I still managed to raise money to donate towards such a fantastic charity, and I was pleased that Chris managed to do so well and arrive back safely.”
Chris said: “I had been doing a lot of training, so it was a bit quicker by myself, but a bit lonely.
“The best part of the journey was near Exeter on the A377, which was absolutely wonderful – round the mountain, but there are no hills, just nice curving roads and you can see for miles.”
The pair were hoping to raise £1,000, and said they were shocked by how much had come in.
“It’s just gone up like a rocket,” said Chris.
Andrea Gitsham, of Lollipop, said: “This is the largest amount that anyone has raised for Lollipop in a single sponsored challenge since we launched.
“It’s a fantastic achievement and we are very proud of Chris. He is an inspiration to us all. His sheer determination to complete the journey in the shortest time has amazed us all.”
Well done Chris
YESTERDAY evening, all eyes were on the cyclists racing around York’s streets.
Today, however, we report on a story of cycling heroism of a completely different kind.
Chris MacDonald, who is profoundly deaf, rode more than 1,300 miles – from Aberdeen to Cornwall and then up to York – to raise money for the charity Lollipop. He raised £1,665.
The 18-year-old remained modest about his achievement. “It was a bit difficult at first,” he said. “There are too many hills in Scotland.” Not too many to thwart this determined teenager, however. Well done, Chris. You’re a star.
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