Four riders will be taking on the ‘Prudential RideLondon Fixing Challenge’ that follows on from the ‘Fixing Dad’ documentary aired last year.
The ‘Fixing Challenge’ will include four competition winners including two women of who will be supported and mentored by the Whitington family, who featured in the initial programme.
Fixing Dad was created by Anthony and Ian Whitington, who helped their dad Geoff regain his health and reverse his Type 2 diabetes on the road to riding Prudential RideLondon-Surrey100. All three will advise the winners on their diet, lifestyles and training, whilst the two sons make a documentary of their progress.
Filmmaker Anthony said: “We know how committing to a challenge like this can make a profound and permanent difference to health and lifestyle and we look forward to helping these four wonderful people on their Fixing journey, We will be working closely with them over the next six months and Geoff and I look forward to riding the 2017 Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 with them on Sunday 30 July.”
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The four will also be followed by BBC Get Inspired and feature in the BBC’s coverage of Prudential RideLondon 2017.
Anyone who entered the ballot for the 2017 ride could nominate themselves or a friend to receive special support and be on the ‘Fixing Challenge’ team. Over 2000 people applied, and the chosen riders include two women keen to turn their lives around through cycling: Cherry Kelly and Maureen Webber.
Cherry Kelly is a serving police officer, who weighs 15-and-a-half stone. The 44-year-old from Skegness in Lincolnshire and says she needs to act now to make lifestyle changes. Being very disciplined around other areas in her life, she’s let fitness slip and struggles with motivation. She said: “I’ve put on half a stone a year over the years and if I keep going like that I’m not going to survive to be a decent age. I need help.” Cherry will ride with her husband, Ned Kelly, who is signed up to support her.
Also on the roster of four riders is Maureen Webber. Having lost two sisters, who were diagnosed with cancer between 2011 and 2013, the 56-year-old from North Yorkshire is a breast cancer survivor herself. Having beaten the illness, she’s put on weight that she now wants to lose – saying: “Things have gone wrong. My husband and I are carrying far too much weight and I have gone through cancer which has added to the family stress.” Maureen will ride with her husband, Ian Webber.
Joining the team is Adrian Higham, a 49-year-old from Kent who lost his wife 14 years ago and has seen his weight balloon to 25 stone. The father of two has said: “I want to beat this. [Through Fixing Dad] you’ve proven that you can.” The antiques dealer will ride with Michael Greenslade, a customer of his.
Finally, the team hosts Craig Russell – a 41-year-old from Cheltenham in Gloucestershire. He has Type 2 diabetes and at his largest weighed 24 stone – he wants to ‘fix himself’ for his children – he’ll ride with his wife Rachel Russell and boss Mark Dennison, and said: “I really need Fixing. I want to be an example to them.”
The four winners, together with their support riders and the Whitington family, will lead off the special Fixing Challenge start wave at the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 on Sunday 30 July. The wave will include other Fixing Challenge applicants – and their support riders – who did not make the final four but wish to take part.
Hugh Brasher, Prudential RideLondon Event Director, said: “The Prudential RideLondon Fixing Challenge offers these four families the chance to transform their lives with the help of the Whitington brothers and, on the way, will create more inspirational films to help other families. Poor eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle are two of the root causes of the global obesity crisis. We hope the journey that our winners will undertake in the next six months will inspire many others to change their lifestyles and improve their health.”
Check out this video with the team…
