Father and son saddle up for 100 mile bike race

Gary Masters and his dad, Steven Masters, will get on their bikes and cycle from London to Surrey as part of the Prudential RideLondon event on July 31.

The pair are asking people to sponsor them in order 
to fundraise for MACS - a 
national charity that helps children born without eyes or with underdeveloped eyes.

Gary, who works as a washroom technician at St Cross Hospital in Rugby, said: “We’ll start at Olympic Park and go past some iconic landmarks on the way to Surrey. It’s going to be tough so I’m sure we’ll be glad when it’s all over!

“I ran the London marathon for MACS in 2013 and loved it but I had to stop running because of a knee injury. I took up road bikeing with Rugby 2-wheelers instead to keep my fitness up.”

Gary added that his father is also a keen cyclist and the pair have been busy training together in the build-up to next Sunday’s event.

He said: “Our fundraising target is £350 each but I’m hoping to raise more than that. I’ll be ecstatic if we go past our target.

“Taking part in RideLondon is also about raising awareness of MACS and what it does. The charity doesn’t get the recognition that some of the other bigger charities do in the UK even though it’s such a worthy cause.

“By chance I work with a nurse at St Cross whose niece, Mia, has been helped by the charity.

“That’s where I got the inspiration to raise money for MACS and help with sport events when I can.”

To donate to Gary’s page, go to www.virginmoneygiving.com/garymasters13 or visit Steven’s page: www.virginmoneygiving.com/stevenmasters1

Further information about MACS can be found at: www.macs.org.uk