Doncaster man triples fundraising goal after gruelling 213-mile bike ride over 17 hours

Bradley Minns, 25, from Harworth, was in the saddle from 5am until 10pm on Sunday, 23 August to raise funds for Ataxia UK, a charity which funds research into finding treatments and cures for ataxia, a term used for a group of neurological disorders that affect balance, coordination and speech.

The sister of Bradley’s partner Lauren, Toyah Wordsworth, 39, has Friedreich's ataxia for which there is no cure or effective treatment.

Bradley, who works as a team leader at the Direct Line call centre, said: "I have been with Lauren for five and a half years and seen how difficult it is for her family to cope.

"Toyah has been ill quite a few times and she’s been into hospital and the doctors don’t really have a clue about her condition. All the treatment she gets is through specialists.”

He added: “It’s just to raise awareness, it’s a small charity.

“The bike ride was hard work. I can’t really do much walking, I feel sore after a minute or two.”

The 213-mile route took Bradley to various landmarks in the north of England, including Nottingham Castle, Lincoln Cathedral and the Humber Bridge. The Sheffield Wednesday fan also managed a stop-off at Hillsborough Stadium.

Bradley said: “I have been into cycling all my life, when I was six I started doing BMX racing. I used to do that to European and world level.

"I just got chatting to my mate and said ‘How far do you think I can ride in a day?’ then I looked at a few landmarks I wanted to visit.”

After initially setting out to raise £1500, the total amount on Bradley’s GoFundMe page stood at £2625 on Wednesday (26 August). His work colleagues have also donated around £1000.

Bradley said: “Everyone’s been amazing. People are just so generous, during this time as well when it’s a lot more challenging for people.

"It just means a lot, not only to me but to Lauren and her family as well.”

You can donate to Ataxia UK here.