Three nutritionists from Mole Valley Farmers challenged themselves to the ‘Tour de Mole’ – a gruelling 250-mile sponsored bike ride for farming charity the Farm Safety Foundation.
Dr Kerensa Hawkey, Lizzie Thacker and Peter Reis completed the three-day circular route during last month’s Farm Safety Week, which took in the company’s four southern feed mills, from the Devon and Cornwall border through Dorset and Somerset.
Kerensa said: “As soon as we set off from our Lifton Mill, the heavens opened. We were soaked through to the skin and it rained for pretty much the entire first day. The visibility was awful.
“Thankfully, we had our support driver Molly Watkins and other staff along the way with us, providing many cups of tea, food and refreshments to keep us hydrated.
“It was an amazing three days and the scenery, when the sun eventually came out, was amazing.
“Although we had to watch the potholes, with a couple of crashes and even more near misses!”
The trio were in the saddle for a total of 20 hours and cycled up some of the region’s biggest hills with a total climb of 14,000ft.
They were raising money for the Farm Safety Foundation and the charity’s Yellow Wellies Campaign, which promotes safe working practices and mental health in farming, which accounts for 1% of the working population but an alarming 16% of all workplace deaths.
And they smashed their £3,000 sponsorship target, so far raising more than £3,400, with staff at Huntworth Mill holding a bake sale to boost the coffers, selling cakes to hungry lorry drivers.
Peter said: “The hills on the first day in the rain were unrelenting, on the final mile into Dorchester Mill the sun finally came out and we couldn’t quite believe we did it.
“Being joined by staff and friends along the route was fantastic, keeping the morale and pace up.
“On the final day, the hills out of Crediton were long and tiring but we got through them. When we realised we were only 10 miles from the finish it was such a relief with only one climb before taking the hill down into Lifton.
“It was a relief to have made it and to have reached our target for such a worthy cause.”
You can continue to support the Farm Safety Foundation and recognise the efforts of the cyclists by making donations on the Just Giving page, up until Saturday, August 31, by clicking HERE.
