Memories of fiancée live on and drive Wolverhampton man in 1,000-mile cycle mission

Adrian Sims from Bilston will cycle 1,000 miles in just 15 days at the Village Hotel Gym in Walsall, which will equate to just under 67 miles a day.

The 55-year-old kicked off his challenge at 9am on Friday and will continue to ride from 9am until 4pm every day until April 7, when he should hit his 1,000th mile.

The fundraiser is in memory of Adrian's fiancée, Cheryl McBreen, who died "after a short but extremely brave battle against cancer" on December 20 last year.

Speaking after his first day of cycling, Adrian said: "It feels good to get started but it's still a bit daunting, I'm one day down but there are 14 to go.

"I did 85 miles today in three stints of 60 miles, 15 miles, and 10 miles. My legs feel a bit heavy but I wasn't massively out of breath."

Adrian, who works for HMRC, started cycling in 2016 in a bid to get fit for 50, but found that he had put weight on during the pandemic.

After deciding he would embark on this 1,000-mile challenge, he started training in January.

Adrian said: "Just to put this into perspective, I did look at cycling from Land's End to John O’Groats which is 874 miles, however safety and cost implications prohibit this, therefore, I decided to round up the ride to 1,000 miles."

All of this is to pay tribute to Cheryl, who he met through friends on July 21, 2019.

Cheryl is survived by her two sons, Nik and Liam, and their partners, Louise and Rachel, as well as her grandson, Lucas.

"They were her world," Adrian said, "and I was extremely lucky and grateful to have her in my life.

"She was a kind, loving and caring lady that lived life to the max. She had wonderful family, friends and colleagues who loved her dearly and we are all devastated by her loss.

"Thankfully Cheryl and I created memories that I will be able to look back on with fondness. However, I want to create a legacy in Cheryl’s name by raising as much money as possible for two charities: St Giles Hospice and Bowel Cancer UK."

Adrian will also make a personal donation to Team Cat Rescue in Sutton Coldfield, where Cheryl adopted her two cats, Albus and Daisy.

On Friday, April 7 at 6pm, Adrian's bike ride will conclude with a two-hour charity spin class which will include some of Cheryl’s favourite tunes.

The cost of booking a bike and taking part in the spin class is £25 which will be split between the two charities.

Small goodies such as sweets and cakes will be provided afterwards as a reward for participating.

Bikes can be reserved via the Village Hotel Gym reception and you do not have to be a member of the gym to take part.

Adrian is also welcoming company on his journey and said: "If anyone would like to ride with me for any part of the 1,000-mile ride, whether it's five minutes or five hours, your support and encouragement will be appreciated.

"Guest passes are available at the gym reception for non-members to join me at any time on any day.

"The raffle will be drawn in the hotel bar after the conclusion of the charity spin and I will buy a drink in the bar for those who take part in the charity spin as a thank you.

"Please spread the word with family, friends, colleagues and on social media so we can raise as much money as possible and play our part in helping find a cure for this horrible disease and make the lives of those who need end of life care as comfortable and pain free as possible."

There will also be a raffle ongoing during the 15 days. To enter, people should contact Adrian directly or email shanie.oliver@village-hotels.com or katie.oneil@village-hotels.com at the Village Hotel Gym Walsall.

Adrian has two separate Justgiving fundraisers: one for St Giles Hospice and one for Bowel Cancer UK.