Childnet is thrilled that Paul Broadbent is cycling 100 miles in the Prudential Ride London to raise money for Childnet. We asked Paul a few questions about himself, why he enjoys cycling and why he’s cycling 100 miles for Childnet.
Name: Paul Broadbent
Age: 53
Where do you live?
In a small village in Lincolnshire
What do you do for a living?
Author – I write maths books for primary aged children and also run courses and support primary teachers in schools
Hobbies:
Football (big Liverpool Football Club fan), cycling, tennis, walking holidays
How did you start cycling?
I used to run and play basketball and was pretty fit until my hip caused me problems in my early 40s. I had to give up all the sports I loved, so my GP advised cycling to keep me fit and happy. I bought a road bike and was hooked. I have since had a ‘Birmingham Hip Replacement’, which has been an incredible success and allows me to now play any sport. However, cycling has taken over as my sport of choice – I just love the miles you can cover on our quiet Lincolnshire roads.
Why you are cycling 100 miles for Childnet?
Knowing I’m a keen cyclist, my daughter, Hannah, who works for Childnet, asked if I would be interested in entering the ballot to be the Childnet representative for the Prudential Ride London-Surrey 100. I like a challenge and have never cycled in such a large group, or peloton, over this sort of distance, with the bonus of no cars on the course! I thought it would be a great opportunity to enter this prestigious event for a charity that does such a fantastic job in helping to make the internet a safer place for children. They do a huge amount of work for and with young people and give excellent support to teachers, parents and carers – I am delighted to be supporting their work.
How is your training going?
Now the weather is better I’m putting more miles in. I’m certainly getting a little quicker and cycling more confidently. Hills are an issue – not many in Lincolnshire to train for Leith Hill and Box Hill (help…!)
I entered the Lincoln Grand Prix 55 mile Sportive in May. Cycling in groups helped me get through the wind, rain and hills over the Wolds. My body held up really well, which is more than can be said for my bike chain, which snapped with 100m to go up the last stretch of steep cobbled street! I walked over the finish line with lots of sympathy from the crowd and commentator.
What time are you aiming for?
I would be pleased to finish in less than 7 hours – depends on those hills and how long I rest at the refreshments stops!
How can we support you?
Family and friends will be at the event, and to make it easier to spot me amongst 20,000 riders, I’m going to wear a Childnet cycle top!
I’ve started getting sponsorship money on my JustGiving page, and would welcome any donations: http://www.justgiving.com/PaulBroadbent2
A final thought for us:
Life is like cycling – after every uphill struggle there’s a fun ride the other side!
