London Midland manager Andy John swapped tracks for towpaths when he cycled the Grand Union Canal to raise funds for a cancer charity.
Control Fleet Manager Andy, who works in London Midland’s control room at the Mailbox, set off from Regent’s Park in London on Friday evening (September 18).
Andy cycled the 160-mile route along the Grand Union Canal finishing close to his workplace at Gas Street Basin in Birmingham city centre on Sunday afternoon accompanied by his friend Ian Charlesworth.
The endurance feat was all the more impressive as Andy injured his back two days before setting off and the duo had to repair numerous punctures because of hawthorn hedge cutting.
The pair raised funds for the Pancreatic Cancer Research and the Community Links Service in Birmingham.
Andy decided to raise funds after losing his father Richard to pancreatic cancer. Richard worked as a train manager for Cross Country trains in Birmingham.
“It’s a cause that often gets forgotten about as people tend to donate to Cancer Research which incorporates all forms of the disease,” Andy said.
“Everything I raise will be going directly to the charity that specifically looks at pancreatic cancer.”
Andy said he had been putting in plenty of miles around his Birmingham home in preparation for the journey.
“We decided to follow the canal as it seemed like a good challenge and, as long as we followed the water, we weren’t going to get lost! The good thing was that our destination was Birmingham so we had home in our sights.”
To find out more information about pancreatic cancer visit www.pcrf.org.uk
