Over the holidays, Oundle School pupil, Bella Ellis has cycled 528km to raise over £15,000 for the MS Society. Bella completed the route from her home in Almondbury in Huddersfield to Salcombe in Devon in 5 days.
The 16-year-old wanted to raise money for research into multiple sclerosis (MS) in memory of her grandfather, who died in April. John Radcliffe had multiple sclerosis for 30 years. Bella watched him deteriorate and helped to nurse him. Her godmother has also recently been diagnosed with MS. She wants all the money she raises to go towards funding research into finding a cure.
Bella says the cycle was a tough challenge, “It was hard at times but I really enjoyed it. The gradient of the hills on the Fosse Way coming into Cirencester was ridiculous. I feel fine though, I was expecting to ache and feel really tired but as soon as I got off my bike I was ok.”
Bella added, “I was aiming to raise £5,000, but over £15,000 – I wasn’t expecting that at all.”
The teenager planned the route from Huddersfield to Salcombe herself. She travelled at an average speed of 17 mph – and had one hairy moment with a big fall near Exeter. However, she managed to get back on her bike within 15 minutes of the fall, after being patched up and cycled another 30 miles that day.
Simon Moran, the MS Society’s Area Fundraiser for the north commented, “I’m so pleased to hear that Bella completed her challenge safely and can now enjoy her well earned holiday. We have been so impressed with her determined approach and she met her cycling goal every day to arrive in Salcombe on Tuesday 23rd October. The funding raised by Bella just keeps growing and will make a massive difference to our research programme.”