Three helicopter crew members from the UK’s busiest search and rescue base are cycling more than 650 miles to raise cash for charity.
The trio are riding from their base at HMS Gannet in Ayrshire to the only other Royal Navy search and rescue station at Culdrose in Cornwall.
HMS Gannet's charity cyclists
Money raised by the charity riders will go to Erskine, which looks after ex-servicemen and women in Scotland; the Royal British Legion and Yorkhill Children’s Hospital in Glasgow.
RAF winchman and paramedic Sergeant Andy Dixon, on exchange to the Royal Navy since 2010, Royal Navy observer and navigator Lieutenant Alex Stevenson and Royal Marines winchman Sergeant Lee Haggerty fly missions in the Royal Navy Sea Kings to help walkers and mountaineers in distress in Scotland, northern England and Northern Ireland.
The men plan to complete the route in six days and are stopping off en route at Carlisle, Warrington, Worcester, Taunton and Launceston before arriving at their destination near Helston.
Lieutenant Stevenson said: “We know this is going to be quite a gruelling trek down to Cornwall.
“But we’re definitely up for the challenge and the thought of raising loads of money for our chosen charities will spur us on. We certainly wouldn’t want to let them down, so we’re ready to give it our all.
“I’m looking forward to a wee bit of friendly inter-service banter and rivalry on the long pedal south – we might all wear different coloured uniforms, but we’re definitely united by our determination to succeed in this challenge and our teamwork in search and rescue at Gannet – it’s the UK’s busiest search and rescue unit and the variety of jobs is quite astonishing, so you pull together rapidly and make good friends.
“But we’ll all be hanging up our flight suits in favour of trainers and cycling kit for this big trip south.”
The men started their challenge on Saturday and their itinerary will see them cover about 100 miles or more each day.
“It’s all about stamina and, in particular, endurance. When we set off, we’ll no doubt be fresh and buoyed up by the challenge,” added Lt Stevenson. “The biggest trick is to keep that level of enthusiasm intact – we fully expect to encounter tiredness on the way, but we are good friends and we will be there to keep one another’s spirits up.”
Sgt Haggerty said: “To be honest, on some of our more difficult rescues, this is exactly the sort of approach we would take – it doesn’t matter how tricky the conditions are or how tired you may feel, it’s all about getting the job done, which, in our case, often means saving someone’s life.
“We are used to teamwork, often in very difficult conditions, so we are sure that will stand us in good stead.”
HMS Gannet’s Sea Kings and their crews cover 98,000 sq miles – more than 12 times the size of Wales. As well as aiding the volunteer mountain rescue teams, the helicopter crews also carry out medical evacuations and rescues at sea and on remote roads.
More details are on the charity trio’s website. There is also a justgiving website for donations.
