Saddle up
Fifth Ring business development director Ian Ord is no stranger to taking on challenging projects and triumphing over adversity, so a 433-mile charity bike ride the length of Scotland fits the bill, albeit he’ll have just over four days to complete it.
Ian will be tackling the inaugural MOG-JOG cycle challenge in aid of cancer charity UCAN, which begins on June 4. Beginning at Mull of Galloway (MOG) at the most southerly tip of Scotland and ending at John O’Groats (JOG) on June 8, the ride represents a daunting daily tally of over 100-miles in the saddle and will take in some of the nation’s most spectacular – and hilly – countryside.
Ian will be joined by cycling close friend Chris Clark and Phil Allan, who also works at Fifth Ring in Aberdeen. The intrepid trio aim to raise £10,000 for Aberdeen-based UCAN, which is dedicated to raising awareness of urological cancers, and improving support and quality of life for people and families who are affected. The four main urological cancers include kidney, bladder, testicular and prostate cancers. Urological cancers account for 1-in-3 of all cancers in men and 1-in-5 of all cancers in men and women.
Ian has good reason to support the charity. In 1989, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Thanks to an early diagnosis and swift treatment, he made a full recovery. As a result, he is passionate about getting across the message to men in particular, that seeking medical advice at an early stage, can literally make the difference between life and death.
“Thanks to the expert medical advice and care I received I have had 7,500 extra days of life. Taking part in the UCAN cycle challenge, which is likely to be four days of discomfort, is a small price to pay to give something back to a charity which does so much to raise awareness of urological cancers.”
Around 20 people have signed up for the tough cycling challenge and with four weeks to go until they set off, training is well underway. Ian and Chris have received a training plan from Ewan Murray, development officer with Scottish Cycling, who has kindly given his time to getting the chaps in shape. Phil’s an experienced racing cyclist and will ensure the team sticks to schedule.
The MOG-JOG begins with a 13-mile warm up from Mull of Galloway to Sandend on Friday evening. The next day, the guys will tackle an average of 105 miles per day in four stages. The route sticks largely to minor roads, many included in the national cycle network.
The Fifth Ring team have created a Just Giving website for anyone wishing to make a donation - www.justgiving.com/fifthring-mogjog and have created a web page on the Fifth Ring website where they will chart their progress prior to and during the event at www.ucanmogjog.com
Ian will be tackling the inaugural MOG-JOG cycle challenge in aid of cancer charity UCAN, which begins on June 4. Beginning at Mull of Galloway (MOG) at the most southerly tip of Scotland and ending at John O’Groats (JOG) on June 8, the ride represents a daunting daily tally of over 100-miles in the saddle and will take in some of the nation’s most spectacular – and hilly – countryside.
Ian will be joined by cycling close friend Chris Clark and Phil Allan, who also works at Fifth Ring in Aberdeen. The intrepid trio aim to raise £10,000 for Aberdeen-based UCAN, which is dedicated to raising awareness of urological cancers, and improving support and quality of life for people and families who are affected. The four main urological cancers include kidney, bladder, testicular and prostate cancers. Urological cancers account for 1-in-3 of all cancers in men and 1-in-5 of all cancers in men and women.
Ian has good reason to support the charity. In 1989, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer. Thanks to an early diagnosis and swift treatment, he made a full recovery. As a result, he is passionate about getting across the message to men in particular, that seeking medical advice at an early stage, can literally make the difference between life and death.
“Thanks to the expert medical advice and care I received I have had 7,500 extra days of life. Taking part in the UCAN cycle challenge, which is likely to be four days of discomfort, is a small price to pay to give something back to a charity which does so much to raise awareness of urological cancers.”
Around 20 people have signed up for the tough cycling challenge and with four weeks to go until they set off, training is well underway. Ian and Chris have received a training plan from Ewan Murray, development officer with Scottish Cycling, who has kindly given his time to getting the chaps in shape. Phil’s an experienced racing cyclist and will ensure the team sticks to schedule.
The MOG-JOG begins with a 13-mile warm up from Mull of Galloway to Sandend on Friday evening. The next day, the guys will tackle an average of 105 miles per day in four stages. The route sticks largely to minor roads, many included in the national cycle network.
The Fifth Ring team have created a Just Giving website for anyone wishing to make a donation - www.justgiving.com/fifthring-mogjog and have created a web page on the Fifth Ring website where they will chart their progress prior to and during the event at www.ucanmogjog.com
