Trans Atlantic Cycle - Roger Holmes

In the saddle from San Fran to New York for the Irish Cancer Society

Letterkenny native Roger Holmes is back in the saddle following a life changing cycling accident and is taking on a 3,750 mile transatlantic cycle in aid of the Irish Cancer Society.

The 43-year-old set off on the solo cycle from San Francisco on June 14th and hopes to complete the route in 60 days, passing through 15 US States.

The challenge is as much an endurance one as it is a mental one, as Roger suffered bad injury following a fall from his bike in August 2014. He wasn’t wearing a helmet and hit the ground at speed, resulting in concussion and facial and dental injuries.

He said of the aftermath of the accident, “I suffered a lot when trying to deal with the trauma of it all and for a long time I thought I’d never get back on a bike again. So this challenge is about getting back on the bike and testing myself. I’m trying to prove that out of a negative a positive can be found. I’m back on the road to help others who are hurting, the many people affected by cancer in Ireland.”

The IT professional is hoping to raise €5,000 to support The Irish Cancer Society, as like most people, he has seen loved ones affected by cancer. Every year in Ireland 40,000 people are diagnosed with cancer, and unfortunately this number is rising.

The Irish Cancer Society relies almost entirely on donations from members of the public to fund its work to support cancer patients and their families. The Society’s Night Nursing service cares for seriously ill patients in their homes and in 2015 169 nights of care were provided to cancer patients in Donegal.

The Society’s Volunteer Driver Service is a free transport service, whereby trained volunteer drivers bring cancer patients to and from their hospital treatment. The service operates from 17 hospitals across the country including Letterkenny General Hospital. A total of 703 journeys were facilitated for 52 patients in Donegal last year.

Since 2010, the Society has spent close to €14 million on cancer research making it the leading voluntary funder of cancer research in Ireland. This investment has supported more than 120 cancer researchers to work on a diverse range of projects that will ultimately lead to better ways of diagnosing and treating cancer.

After completing the US side of his challenge, Roger will plans to cycle from his hometown to the Irish Cancer Society’s head office in Dublin to complete the final stint of his cycle on Irish soil.

Ena Barrett, Community Fundraiser for the Irish Cancer Society said, “Roger is taking on an amazing feat, given the accident he suffered, and we are extremely heartened and grateful that he has chosen to raise funds to support people in Ireland affected by cancer. This is a mammoth challenge to take on and we hope Roger has a safe journey as he clocks up the miles in the US. We look forward to welcoming him back to Ireland for the final leg of his journey.”

To support Roger on his journey visit www.gofundme.com/TransAtlanticCycle.

To keep up to date with his challenge check out his blog www.theparismethod.com or Trans Atlantic Cycle on Facebook.