Round the world record breaking cyclist Jenny Graham to give charity talk at Applecross and tackle Everest challenge on Bealach na Ba
A WORLD record holder from Inverness is visiting Applecross tomorrow to give a presentation about her accomplishment and help her friend who is raising funds for people with learning difficulties.
Jenny Graham who smashed the record last year for cycling 18,000 miles around the world in 124 days will be speaking at Applecross Community Hall on Friday, March 29 at 7.30pm.
Tickets will be available at the door at £8 for adults and all the proceeds from the evening will go to charity Mencap which helps people with learning disabilities.
Miss Graham (39) will be giving the presentation to help fundraising efforts of her friend and fellow member of the Torridon Mountain Rescue Team, Gerry McPartlin.
Mr McPartlin (75) from Edinburgh is due to run his fifth consecutive London Marathon on Sunday, April 28 and is raising money for learning disability charity Mencap.
His decision to run the marathon in 2015 came after he underwent surgery for Prostate Cancer in 2013 and 2014 and his brother, who was a former Scottish rugby international, sadly died of the same condition in October 2013.
Mr McPartlin ran the 2015 marathon in aid of Prostate Cancer UK, : "I knew that it would give me great motivation to get fit again. Raising money for Prostate Cancer UK in memory of my brother Joe added to the motivation.
“This year I'm delighted to be running for Mencap, the main UK charity for people with learning disabilities. They speak for folk who are amongst the most marginalised in our ever more competitive and materialistic society,” he said.
Mr McPartlin (pictured at a previous London Marathon) also raised money in 2010 for a new L'Arche, an international charity for adults with learning disabilities, by climbing all the 283 Munros in Scotland in only 88 days, the fastest time by a pensioner.
Two days after the presentation, on Sunday, March 31, Miss Graham will attempt to Everest Applecross's Bealach na Ba - the biggest road climb in Britain - by cycling up and down the 2000 foot hill 15 times.
Everesting is a global cycling phenomenon whereby cyclists attempt to climb the height of Everest by multiple ascents of the same hill.
Donations to Gerry's fund for Mencap can be made online at https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/gerrymcpartlin and details of Mr Mcpartlin's preparation for the London Marathon are on his website at www.gmmarathon.com.
