An Inverness sports writer has taken on his biggest challenge yet by cycling 1,000 miles to raise money for War Child.
Freelance sports writer Alasdair Fraser has even had support from recently knighted crime writer Sir Ian Rankin as he does his solo bike ride across northern Europe.
The 51-year-old dad-of-two has already reached beyond his mid-way point after starting on May 25 from Gdansk in Poland.
Mr Fraser said: “I was planning something a wee bit more languorous this summer, but we’ve all seen the horrors in Ukraine and elsewhere.
“My plan is to cycle the 1,000 miles from Gdansk in Poland to the Gellions Bar in Inverness to raise cash for War Child’s work in war-torn parts of the world.
“I’m attempting the 800 or so miles from Gdansk to Amsterdam and then plan to make up the last 200 somewhere between Newcastle ferry port to Inverness. Then I’ll go for a pint in the Gellions.”
So far Mr Fraser has encountered storms, poor road surfaces, a very greedy dog who ate his bananas, a street riot crime scene and even some unusual noises from fellow campers overnight.
@Beathhigh Hi Ian, sorry but shamelessly chasing retweets etc to boost my Gdansk to the Gellions fundraiser for Ukraine and War Child and thought of your good self when I passed a familiarly-named bus in north Germany … https://t.co/fMwFbr1bWk pic.twitter.com/YQQibof9Zl
— Alasdair Fraser (@AlFrasSport) June 3, 2022
And as if washing out his cycling shorts in hotel sinks wasn’t enough to take pity on Mr Fraser with a pound or two, he is trying to fit in his cycle before the football season resumes again.
Even Edinburgh-based Mr Rankin gave the long-distance cyclist a retweet after he saw a bus named Rebus. Chipping in to to his £2,500 target.
He continued: “No charity is perfect, but I like that War Child seems to respond with equal urgency to war and persecution wherever it is in the world.
“Any donation will help support the unfolding crisis in Ukraine, where 10.7 million children in Ukraine are living through terrifying crisis, as well as places like Afghanistan, and match funding from the UK government will go towards Yemen, where millions of children are still in desperate need of protection from war and conflict.”
Mr Fraser is keeping a daily diary of his efforts on Facebook and Twitter.
Where has he been so far?
With around 400 miles still to go on his trip, he has so far visited Gdansk, Puck and Debki, before heading to Leba. It was a slow start, and Mr Fraser was even “flipped over” while making his way into the Polish town.
With 20mph headwinds he headed out from Leba after an unplanned rest day via Łazy, Zachodniopomorskie to Ustka,and onto Kołobrzeg the following day.
From there he headed to Pobierowo and Świnoujście before reaching the German border where strong winds and howling rain forced upon him a “thinking” day.
Mr Fraser, who is completing the trip without a support team, has had to fix his bike and find parts along the way.
On June 2, day six of cycling, he partially enjoyed 74-miles of cycling from Świnoujście to Demmin until he hit upon cobbles on the rural roads of Germany.
The following day he managed Demmin to Schwerin, 91 miles, and by this time was more used to the cobbled pathways.
After a mentally difficult day he travelled 53miles from Schwerin to Bleckede by the River Elbe, By June 5 he had made it to Bremen, achieving 100 miles in one day.
To donate to Mr Fraser’s fundraiser click here.
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