SSW staff
in the saddle
for a worthy cause

23 September 2014

At 7 am Wednesday morning James Walters and Gary Smith (Directors of Smith Stone Walters) exchanged their office suits for lycra equivalents in a display of dedication to the cause of raising funds for the Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity. The pair completed the London Paris Bike Ride, a 4 day 300 mile route from London to Paris to raise funds for terminally ill children and their families.

The completion of day one saw our cyclists put 78 miles behind them and board the ferry at Dover an hour ahead of schedule. After leaving Calais the next morning the route took our sporting enthusiasts through the medieval town of Arras. The sun beat down on the peaceful French countryside making for picturesque yet tough conditions and the day ended with many more aches and pains than the previous evening.

The next day’s cycling led the SSW team through 75 miles of somewhat easier terrain, passing through the valley of the Somme and giving the team a well-earned but somewhat sombre break to visit a couple First World War graves. The following morning dawned on the final 65 mile push to Paris and the SSW team finally rolled into the fabulous capital via the Champs-Elysées, around the Arc de Triomphe, finishing up in front of the 324 metre Eiffel Tower. Many of the participants’ families and friends had gathered to cheer everyone over the finish line and their achievements were then rewarded with a medal and a glass of champagne!

Given that none of the SSW team were serious cyclists but consistently arrived in the top 25 out 100 at the regular checkpoints, we are immensely proud of their efforts. Despite calls for saddle redesigns, their soreness did not prevent the team celebrating their achievement with a few glasses of wine prior to boarding the coach back to London.

‘All in all a good challenge, a fun trip and more money raised for the Rainbow Trust’ – James Walters. 

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