Taking on an epic cycling challenge for the NSPCC
“Once our aching legs faded, reflecting on what we achieved – raising more than £30,000 – was overwhelming. Knowing that this money would go directly to helping children made every tough moment worthwhile. ”
It all began in August when six of the Manchester development team – me, Richard Bell, William Hunt, Oliver Walker, James Howard, and Oliver Meagher – were inspired to raise money for the NSPCC after hearing about the charity’s work.
The NSPCC is Clarion’s charity partner, and across the organisation we’ve got a target of raising £100,000 in the first year of our three-year partnership for the Building Connections service which supports children and young people who are experiencing loneliness.
It’s heartbreaking to think that a service like this is needed, and that’s why we all wanted to help.
With so many challenges to choose from, the six of us (mostly inexperienced cyclists) decided to take on one of the biggest challenges on offer – an ambitious 450km cycle from Vietnam to Angkor Wat in Cambodia with a fundraising target to match.
Following a tough winter of fundraising and training in the wind, rain and snow, by February there was no going back. The journey to the start line begun in London with a 12-hour flight to Saigon. Arriving at 5am, we battled through the airport before finally stepping out into the heat.
There was no time to rest – we headed straight to get measured up for our bikes and battled jet lag to stay awake until we could check into our hotel in the afternoon. The next morning, at 6am sharp, we were off.
The journey ahead was daunting, but we had trained for this, even if we felt we could – or perhaps should – have done more. The first day was a shock to the system. The heat was relentless, and within the first hour, we tackled one of the biggest bridges of the entire ride: a huge industrial structure spanning the Mekong River.
The Latimer team raised £30,000 for the NSPCC, Clarion’s charity partner.
Each day started early with breakfast at dawn – noodles and rice becoming a staple whether we liked it or not. We cycled from 7:30am until around 5pm, with breaks every 15-20km to rehydrate and refuel. The terrain was varied – busy roads, chaotic intersections, long stretches through rural landscapes, and countless bridges, with breathtaking views. The temperature soared into the mid-30s, feeling closer to 42°C with the humidity. Stopping was often worse than cycling – the moment we paused, the heat became overwhelming, sweat pouring as we desperately tried to stay cool.
Mindset was everything. We reminded ourselves why we were doing this – for the NSPCC and the funds we had worked so hard to raise. That kept us going, along with the camaraderie we built along the way.
It was incredibly rewarding seeing how far we had travelled each day, ticking the miles off as we inched closer to the finish line. Passing through two amazing countries with extremely welcoming locals made us feel extremely grateful for the experience.
Reaching the finish line was surreal. It wasn’t the grand, climactic moment we had envisioned, but more a quiet sense of accomplishment. We had done it.
Before signing up, none of us were serious cyclists. When we first saw the challenge on a list of fundraising opportunities, we assumed it would be a virtual event. But no, this was the real deal.
Once our aching legs faded, reflecting on what we achieved – raising more than £30,000 – was overwhelming. Knowing that this money would go directly to helping children made every tough moment worthwhile. It’s something we will never forget and we’re all extremely proud of the challenge we have completed and the change we are helping to make.