Bath man pedals the perimeter of Britain in memory of his family
A man from Bath has cycled around the perimeter of Britain to raise money for charity in memory of his father, his mother and his adopted father.
Ian McKay completed his 2,650-mile cycle - the equivalent of cycling from Land's End to John o'Groats three times - in 40 days.
He tackled the challenge on his own with no support vehicle. This latest feat was part of his ultimate goal of cycling more than 5,000 miles in 2020 for Macmillan Cancer Support - a goal which he has now completed.
Ian, who returned to Bath on Sunday 11 October, was inspired to do the trip after losing three family members to cancer.
His father died in 1970, while his mother and adopted father died more recently.
The challenge was initially set for April and May this year, however Covid-19 restrictions pushed it back to the start of September.
The epic journey began and finished at the Royal United Hospital in Bath.
Along the way he went to places significant to his family - including Sheffield, where he visited a memorial to his father, and Cheshire, where his mother and adopted father lived for many years.
He also went past Lancaster University, where he completed his master’s degree and first met his wife.
The adventurer also stopped off at the most northerly, southerly, easterly and westerly points in Britain – Dunnet Head in Scotland, Lizard Point in Cornwall, Lowestoft Ness in Suffolk, and Ardnamurchan Point in Scotland.
A visit was also paid to Macmillan’s Head Office in London. So far Ian has raised more than £5,400 for the charity.
Ian, who has lived in Bath for over 30 years, said: “The year 2020 marks the anniversary of my father’s passing 50 years ago, and my second father and my mother both also died from cancer."
Kaeti Morrison, Fundraising Manager at Macmillan Cancer Support, spoke of how much Ian's contribution meant: “Macmillan is facing a huge drop in income due to the pandemic and we rely almost entirely on the generosity of supporters like Ian.
"His hard work and that of all our supporters means more now than ever before.”
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