LIFESTYLE
PEDAL TO
PARIS
T. Rowe Price Associates ‘Pedal to Paris’ ride raises more than £100,000 for the Royal
British Legion
On 1 September 2016, a sea of 350 intrepid cyclists could be seen
riding across the English and French countryside. Among them,
24 associates from T. Rowe Price, led by team captain Toby Baker, a
senior fixed income, rates & FX trader at the firm, took part to raise
money for the Royal British Legion charity.
The annual ride is now in its 21st year and supports the Royal British
Legion, which provides lifelong support for the Armed Forces
community, serving men, women, veterans and their families.
Following on from K&KGC's article (in issue 4 of The Buy-Side
Perspectives) to help T. Rowe Price raise money for the charity,
the riders raised more than £50,000 (U.S. $65,000). With a
corporate sponsorship and additional gift matching, the total
amount T. Rowe Price has donated to the charity is more than
£100,000 (U.S.$130,000).
The cyclists’ route took them from London towards the south of
England, crossing the river Medway at the Royal British Legion
village near Aylesford in Kent. The village was of significance to
the ride, as it was founded after the First World War to help injured
soldiers from the nearby Preston Hall hospital. From Dover, they
crossed the channel by ship to Calais, following a similar route
to England’s first Anglo-Norman king William the Conqueror of
Normandy 1066 but in reverse.
Landing in France, the team headed south through the Parc
Naturel des Caps et Marais d’Opale, a protected region containing
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a major forest just outside the French town of Boulogne. Heading
south, they passed through Abbeville, crossing over the river
Somme – a region with particular relevance to the Royal British
Legion this year, as many British soldiers died here during the First
World War in 1916. At length, the route passed through Beauvais
and entered Paris from the west, crossing over the Seine river and
passing through the Bois de Boulogne woods to finish at the Arc
de Triomphe, a magnificent 19th century monument that was
completed in 1833 in central Paris.
Team Captain Toby Baker, a senior fixed income, rates & FX trader,
summed up how the cyclists felt as they crossed the finish line
in Paris. “To all ride over the line together, 24 riders from London,
Baltimore and Copenhagen. We had a blast along the way, but
what a sight when you pull in. It’s been amazing.”
In total, the brave cyclists had covered a distance of 460km since
they set out. The average distance covered each day was between
100km and 129km per day.
“Pedal to Paris truly was a unique opportunity to connect the global
T. Rowe Price community,” says Dan Shackelford, portfolio manager
of the T. Rowe Price New Income Fund. “Together we supported
a wonderful charity and participated in an incredibly organized
cycling challenge. For me personally, it was a dream come true to
cycle across the beautiful English and French countryside, traverse
the famous cobblestones of Paris, and finish the event at the iconic
Arc de Triomphe.”
www.buysideintel.com
December 2016