Last year, one of our longest-serving nurses, Kate Watkins, was due to cycle from Eastbourne to Paris, with her niece Hannah, to raise money for an amazing cause – St Wilfrid’s Hospice in Eastbourne – which had cared for her brother Tony (Hannah’s father).
Unfortunately, the ride was postponed because of Covid-19. However, never one to let a minor setback (like a global pandemic!) stop her, Kate was determined to follow through and the pair recently completed the ride, raising £3,149 for the cause – over £1,500 more than anticipated – and being absolutely overjoyed to have smashed their original target.
Despite the postponement, Kate and Hannah kept busy fundraising via car boot, plant and clothes sales. “We emptied the roof of years of items and sold them too!” says Kate. They also trained hard throughout the winter for the gruelling 288-mile ride.
As part of her journey, Kate updated residents and staff via daily video calls. Everyone was captivated and cheered the intrepid pair on during their four-day ride. The appropriately named ‘Wilfride’ went as follows:
Day 1: 81 miles – Kate, Hannah and 14 other Wilfriders cycled from Eastbourne to Dover to catch the ferry to Calais.
Day 2: 79 miles – The group cycled from Calais to Abbeville.
Day 3: 68 miles – Then, from Abbeville to Beauvais.
Day 4: 60 miles – From Beauvais to the Eiffel Tower – journey’s end!
Kate had this to say: “What an incredible adventure! After a year of waiting, the disappointment of the postponement and having to train through the winter months, it was hard to believe the ride was actually happening. It was an emotional and, at times, overwhelming experience. The four days went by far too quickly. I have made some amazing friends and it really was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Would I do it again? Oh yes, I’d go tomorrow!”
It won’t quite be tomorrow, but Kate is clearly not going to be hanging up her helmet and lycra shorts any time soon! Next May she will be cycling from Dieppe to Paris with friends – without any support vehicle or mechanic – and also hopes to take part in the 2024 Wilfride, this time to Amsterdam.
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