Your news: Gym contest highlights how tough 2,500 miles will be

Fitness fanatics at The Gym Crawley took on a charity hand cycle challenge, comparing their own stamina against local hand cycling enthusiast Rob Groves.

This summer, Rob will hand cycle 2,500 miles around the UK’s coast.

His plan is to raise money for three of his favourite charities - the Dolphin Project, Spinal Injury Association, and The Cycling Project - and to get 100,000 people to sign a petition calling for more education on climate change and saving the UK coast from pollution.

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In 2014, Rob raised £6,000 for Children in Need with a Scotland to London challenge, this time, he hopes to raise £10,000.

He challenged gym members to try out a specially converted hand-cycle placed in the gym on rollers, to see how many miles they could do in 28 days.

Halfords donated a bike and ‘trainer’ stand, to be given to the gym member who completed the most miles.

A statement from the organisers said: “The members of the Gym in Crawley completed 791 miles in 28 days. Well done to the two winners.”

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Ivo Vilmos Simko, 22, took first place, while Del Maslen, 75, won a set of training rollers for coming second.

James Collins, General Manager of The Gym Crawley, said: “The charity event we ran throughout February was fantastic; our members really enjoyed trying something new in the hand cycle.

“The fact we were helping to raise awareness of disability in sport, Cycling Project, spinal injuries and saving our oceans was a huge bonus and what made this challenge so attractive to The Gym Group Crawley.

“We would all like to wish Rob Groves the best of luck with his 2,500 miles challenge this summer and we will be there to support him every step of the way.”

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Rob plans to set off from Brighton on July 2 and hand-cycle around 2,500 miles around Britain’s coastline, finishing on July 28 at 10 Downing Street, where he will hand over the petition.

The Gym CrawleyThe Gym Crawley
The Gym Crawley

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