SUPPORTING MY NAME5 DODDIE FOUNDATION
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SUPPORTING MY NAME5 DODDIE FOUNDATION
Martyn Best , our inside man and Associate Director at Tranmere Rovers Football Club , shares an off-season activity .
The football season was over , the Wirral Festival had been a huge success and the first game of a new season starting on Saturday 10th August is still some way off .
The amazing story of the Euros kept us all occupied and enthralled , but the close season also gives an opportunity to explore other challenges and causes .
Many of us will have been touched by the emotion of the Scottish and Lions rugby international Doddie Weir , and also the very sad passing of Rob Burrow of Leeds , both succumbing to the very difficult condition of Motor Neurone Disease ( MND ).
The My Name5 Doddie Foundation was established to further the research into the disease , and along with fellow Tranmere fans , Chris Wainwright ( cousin of former Scottish Captain and Lions player , Rob Wainwright who was a teammate of Doddie ) and Huw Pearson , I decided to take a bike ride during the summer to support the Foundation .
A challenge it was , with the trio ’ s journey starting at 21:42 on a late June evening , and finally finishing just under 14 hours later , having ridden through the sunset , the sunrise , a few much welcomed stops for refreshment , and a few very short naps at those stops .
It was a glorious , well-organised event with an uplifting and cheerful atmosphere .
We were interviewed at the start and end by what seemed to be Swedish TV , and they took a deep interest in our cause , and indeed our matching Doddie outfits .
If you ’ re interested in the cause , there ’ s still time to support the effort , and then we will return to our support for Tranmere ’ s new season and a very hopeful push for promotion .
Not just any old bike ride though , as that would hardly be in the Doddie spirit ; and so the Vatternrundan was chosen .
This is Europe ’ s biggest participation bike ride – a 315km , non-stop circuit of a lake in the heart of Sweden .
16 wirrallife . com