Six mothers from Muswell Hill have completed a gruelling cycling challenge across the French Alps, marking the end of five years of charity fundraising. The friends—Lea Helman, Helen Style, Vered Lobel, Naomi Chanim, Sharon Rubin, and Melissa Rockman—tackled severe mountain inclines and temperatures reaching 37 degrees Celsius to raise money for vital medical causes.
From London to the Alps
The group's fundraising journey began five years ago when they organised their first charity bike ride to support their children's pre-school, which was struggling during the pandemic. The novice cyclists rode from London to Brighton, raising £35,000 and preventing the closure of the pre-school where Helen was headteacher. Inspired by their success, the women continued their mission and have since completed four more charity rides.
Their latest three-day adventure across Europe was the final chapter of a journey that began during the pandemic. The determined cyclists have now raised a total of £90,000 for various charities close to their hearts over the last five years.
Final Ride Raises Nearly £10,000
This final trip raised nearly £10,000, to be split between Breast Cancer UK and Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) Support UK. PCD is a rare inherited genetic condition that causes chronic lung infections, which two of Helen's sons live with daily.
The group started their journey by flying to Geneva before cycling 92 kilometres to Albertville in extreme heat. They rode another 64 kilometres across hilly terrain the following day before facing a final 40-kilometre climb to reach 2,200 metres above sea level. The final destination at Col du Petit Saint-Bernard is classified as a severe and highly demanding mountain route by the Tour de France. After reaching the summit, the tired mothers still had to navigate a steep descent down to the base in Italy.
Local Support and Training
Local businesses helped the group prepare for the extreme slopes. A local gym instructor designed specialist hill-climbing spin classes, and a nearby bike shop owner helped map out routes and changed their tyres throughout training.
The mothers, who range in age from 40 to 60, have 17 children between them and wanted to set a good example about helping others. They chose to support Breast Cancer UK this year because at least one in four cases of the disease is preventable through lifestyle changes.
Inspiring Others
Lea Helman, instigator of the first bike ride, said: “We all had young kids and like most parents were going stir crazy during Covid so I thought cycling would be a good way to get out of the house but also help the pre-school. But we never imagined that one ride would turn into this.”
She continued: “We’ve since cycled across France, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Sweden through rain and wind – and had more than a few meltdowns! But we’ve raised an incredible amount of money for charities close to our hearts. These aren’t just charities to us. They represent people we love, families like ours, and challenges no one should face alone.”
Helen Style added: “We’re all very tired but we had the best time. We're elated and proud of ourselves for having achieved the climb but the best part was crossing the line at the end by far! The views were stunning but the worst part was definitely all the climbs. And the downhills were scary but fabulous.”
She continued: “Raising money for good causes has driven us forward but the camaraderie on each trip is pretty special. We have such a laugh. We've supported each other throughout the last five years and we will always have this special bond.”
Lea added: "When I suggested raising money for Breast Cancer UK, the response was overwhelmingly positive from everyone. Everybody knows someone that’s had breast cancer or is going through it. We chose Breast Cancer UK in particular because we like to support smaller charities as our donation can hopefully make a bigger difference to the work Breast Cancer UK do. The more impact we can make, the better."
She continued: “We're just semi-fit mums who have busy lives with work and other stuff and have had to fit our training in where we can. But on the flip side, we have an amazing time together, and we raise money for charities like Breast Cancer UK, which is really important for all of us.”
Helen, 60, added: "I have always said to my kids that they need to volunteer for things. You need to step out of your comfort zone for others and give back to society. And I would encourage other parents to do the same."
