Lawyer in Sudbury to cycle 100 miles for charity

Dean Stanhope, a Sudbury resident and a Wills & Probate lawyer at Holmes & Hills Solicitors in Sudbury, will be taking part in the Prudential Ride challenge on 30 July, cycling 100 mile from London to Surrey in aid of Alzheimer's Society. 

Here, Dean shares what motivated him to take on this challenge.

100 miles........Can’t be too hard can it?!

Last year I signed up to do the Prudential Ride London-Surrey, a 100 mile route starting at from Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in East London. Heading out of London into Surrey and towards the biggest ascent of the route at Leith Hill.  After that a decent towards Dorking and onto the next hill challenge, the famous zig-zags of Box Hill. The route then heads back towards London and finishing on The Mall.  The ride takes place on the 30th July 2017.

When I received confirmation that I had been accepted to take part in the ride, I received the first magazine with lots of charities asking that you cycle for them.  When I put my name in the ballot I did it with the sole intention of riding for Alzheimer’s UK.  I am an Associate Legal Executive in the Private Client Team assisting people with making Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney.  Unfortunately I see the effects that Dementia can have on a family and the damage it can cause, this is why I am determined to complete this challenge.

I can certainly be classed as an amateur cyclist.  The furthest I had been in one day until recently was 50 miles.  This may not be a challenge to a lot of cyclists but to me it certainly is!

Training had started off slow due to weather (yes, I am a fair weather cyclist), this meant time on the gym bike and at spinning classes.  I had done a couple of 25 mile rides when I received an email from the managing partner inviting me to do a 100 mile ride from Sudbury to Aldeburgh and back! I knew that I had not done enough training but accepted that this would be good training for the actual event.  The ride to Aldeburgh took place on 28th May, I reached 50 miles, the furthest I had been and was a bit daunted that there was still the return leg to be done, doubling my previous best, I reached 80 miles when my legs were struggling to keep pedalling, battling on and with the help of my fellow riders, I made it back to Sudbury.  What the ride did teach me was that in the last two months before the Prudential Ride a lot more training needs to take place!

Any donations can be made at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/DEAN-STANHOPE

When he isn’t cycling, Dean is assisting clients with Making Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney and advising on Probate issues.