Martin, Head of Shaftesbury Nash College, cycled from Yarmouth to Ryde and back over two consecutive days in the half term break, with every mile helping to raise funds in support of the college.
Setting off from Yarmouth, the first day’s ride covered 49 miles, following off-road paths and byways across the island and past coastal towns including Ventnor and Shanklin.
A shorter 34-mile ride on day two from Ryde to Yarmouth traversed inland as temperatures soared to over 30 degrees.
The heat proved to be one of the most challenging aspects of the ride, along with the terrain, which included more than 6,574ft of climbing.
“The hardest part was the heat and staying hydrated – there’s only so many electrolyte drinks you can stomach. Some of the hills were tough in the heat. Steep climbs on loose gravel and grass are harder than on road surfaces.
“Being part of a group helped keep me going, and the thought of people donating also spurred me on,” he said
With the finish line in sight, Martin suffered a series of punctures: “We had to stop in a field to do the repair, so it wasn’t great. I ended the ride with a slow puncture, having to stop intermittently to pump it up – but we got there!”
Despite the setbacks, Martin successfully completed the ambitious challenge he’d set himself before the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It took some years to get it in the diary, but once I had committed to it, I wanted to raise money our students,” said Martin.
“Seeing the money come in over the two days helped me focus on the finish line, I’d check the JustGiving page every time we stopped, that helped for sure and I’d like to thank everybody who donated.”
Thanks to generous donations, more than £700 has been raised so far. Some of the funds will be used to purchase a selection of books inspired by our ‘reading for pleasure’ initiative, which supports Shaftesbury students to access a variety of books.
Link to Just Giving page: Martin Bentham is fundraising for Shaftesbury