Ed Watson, fourth year Medicine student and outgoing (2023/24) Club Captain for Men’s Hockey shares his story on how he, along with his brother James Watson and his friend Tommy Davies, are remembering their friend who sadly passed away in December 2022. The trio are cycling 3100km to raise money for The Tom Love Trust; a charity set up in their friend’s name.
Our ‘why’
Tom Love is a friend of ours from school who very sadly passed away whilst living and working in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, while in the middle of an adventure motorbiking from England to South Africa. He was a really great guy: funny, friendly, and this challenge that he gave himself summed him up and his love of adventure perfectly.
The challenge
With my brother and friend, we are cycling from the southernmost to northernmost point of Norway, in his memory. Norway is a country we are all really excited to visit, with incredible scenery and people. The south of the country has amazing fjords and the north has some extremely remote communities. Cycling means we get the physical challenge, but also we can cover a long distance and see even more exciting places.
Norway permits wild camping, meaning we can pitch up our tent wherever we finish the day’s cycling, no matter how remote or isolated the area. We could be waking up next to a beautiful fjord or in the middle of the Norwegian countryside. The weather can be quite sunny, especially in the south, but it is often very cold, windy and wet. In the north, even in the summer, it can be below 0°C at night in mid-August.
“We know we can make it”
We know it will be an immensely tough challenge; physically tough covering such a long distance, carrying all of our kit with lots of difficult ascents, as well as mentally tough – without any support and enduring a month with no significant rest. However, with the training we have done and the three of us in it together, we know we can make it to the top.
How you can support
We are raising money and awareness for The Tom Love Trust which supports children and young people in deprived areas of the UK and Africa – both places very close to Tom’s heart. You can support us on our mission by donating to our page.
🌍 Follow our journey and find updates on our Instagram (@thehairlessbikers)!
The trio are expecting to finish their 3100km cycle on 6 September 2024.
