A 790km cycle ride down Portugal’s fabled N2 highway gets Help for Heroes super-fundraiser tantalisingly close to £500,000 (€579,000) goal.
Veteran Steve Craddock, 62, has just completed an epic fundraising cycle ride which took him from Chaves in the north of Portugal, 490 miles (approx. 790km) down to Faro in the Algarve battling torrential rain and averaging almost 80 miles (approx. 129km) a day in the process.
The Portuguese ride is the latest in a 12-year list of events to raise funds for Armed Forces charity Help for Heroes, comprising many challenging cycle rides along with quiz nights, black-tie dinners and concerts. These have brought Steve’s fundraising total to a staggering £486,000, making him the biggest individual fundraiser in Help for Heroes’ history.
The six-day cycle route followed the fabled N2 Highway, Portugal’s answer to Route 66, taking Steve through a changing vista of extraordinary scenery – but also having to endure some of the worst cycling conditions he’s ever had to contend with.
A former Royal Engineer, Steve is no stranger to pushing himself, even when life gets tough. He undertook six tours of Northern Ireland and subsequently struggled both mentally and physically after leaving the Armed Forces before being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Getting on a bike to do a 350-mile sponsored ride from Normandy to Paris for Help for Heroes was the first step on his own recovery – the training gave him a reason to get out of bed and leave the house, while also lifting his mood and his feelings of isolation by being able to bike with other people. Fundraising through cycling has been a driver for him ever since, helping him mentally and giving him a real purpose in life.
His Portuguese fundraiser began in the country’s northern industrial zones and terraced vineyards, which are amongst the oldest in the world, continuing through fields of olive and cork trees, along riverbanks and over the winding mountains of the Douro region, with glorious sweeping views of the valleys below.
Once out of the mountains, Steve headed through the rolling countryside of the less-explored Alentejo region, with its traditional white-painted houses and wide-open landscapes. Whilst beautiful, this was some of the hardest cycling for Steve from a mental perspective as, with the road ahead constantly in view it could feel rather relentless in the rain. In an area that hadn’t seen rain for six months, the lashing rain was very unseasonal.
The final phase of the journey was climbing over the rather challenging mountains of the Algarve, giving way to citrus orchards and the welcome sea breezes of the Atlantic Ocean. The last day was a tough one in the saddle but was truly compensated for by the glorious weather, unbelievable views and great high-speed descents as they reached our destination in Faro.
Steve says: “This was probably the toughest cycle challenge I have ever attempted, made much worse by the rain. However, it was also a glorious, glorious route and, when the sun came out, the views were breathtaking. For anyone looking for a challenge, I would thoroughly recommend this ride, especially as I know we were unlucky with the weather.
“And, as it’s helped me get ever-closer to raising my £500,000 target for Help for Heroes, it’s been more than worth pushing my physical and mental boundaries.”
Anyone who feels inspired by Steve’s epic journey can help him achieve his £500,000 target before the end of the year by sponsoring him for his next incredible bike challenge. This is to cycle 2,020 miles (approx. 3250km) across Europe in 22 days in 2020. He’ll be cycling alongside another veteran, Lee Patmore, who will be using a handbike as he is a wheelchair user following a back injury sustained during his time in the Royal Navy.
But Steve won’t stop there – as he says, “many veterans continue to need the support that Help for Heroes provides, and as long as one veteran continues to need support, I will be there fundraising for them”.
To support Steve, go to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cycle2recovery
