Shoreham woman cycles 1,000 miles across Sussex for cancer charity

Alice Baddeley, 39, from Shoreham, had an original plan to cycle along the UK coastline but this was postponed due to Covid. So, instead, she decided to cycle 1,000 miles across Sussex, visiting every town and village, over 20 days.

She said: “I had this idea to take the whole ‘stay local’ message to the extreme and stay in my own county and visit every town, village, and city so I made a route that zig zags across the county.

“I am still going to do the coast cycle, but this is sort of a pre-cycle to that.”

She is set to finish the cycle on Thursday, September 30, one day before her 40th birthday.

Alice lost her dad to cancer in 2019, and in 2020, her young cousin was diagnosed with cancer. She said: “I wanted to raise money for a cancer charity as I lost my dad a couple of years ago.

“I found a really good one based in Seaford, they are called Wolo Foundation and are local which is great.”

The fundraising goal was £1 for every mile, which Alice has already beaten having raised around £300 over the initial target.

She added: “I’d love to keep raising more money and get some publicity for the charity.

“They’ve been really good, they’ve met me along the way and put me in contact with local businesses so I’ve been getting things like free coffee and vouchers.”

A spokespeson from Wolo Foundation said: “She saw her trip as an opportunity to raise money for a cancer charity and when she discovered Sussex-based WOLO Foundation she instantly knew this was the cause to support.

“Not only for their incredible support that they give to families affected by cancer, but also for their ‘we only live once’ ethos and making every second count by living it your best.

“Like her dad was, Alice is very much an advocate of living for the present moment and loves cycling because it makes her feel mindful, free and connected with nature.

“Setting this personal challenge was a way of combining her passion for cycling, desire to discover new places and thirst to push her own limits.”

You can donate to Alice’s 20 day cycle on her JustGiving page and you can also follow her journey on instagram by following @yello.velo.