Derry man cycling around the coast of Ireland for charity

John Norby set off on the mammoth challenge last week and will spend a total of 22 days cycling unsupported around the beautiful coast.

The Creggan man has always been a keen cyclist and has done long cycles in the past, but he admits ‘never anything to this extent’.

John, who is a freelance journalist and part time postman, has been planning the trip for a number of years and had originally intended to complete it last year.

However, due to the Covid restrictions and his father’s ill health, John had to postpone his plans.

“I have always been into cycling and for the last few years have fancied going around the coast. My da was diagnosed with dementia about six years ago, he started going downhill and then he passed away last year,” John said. “It was him that got me into cycling years ago. Me and my brother would alway be out on the bikes with him.”

Raymond Norby was 73-years-old when he died and John said it was awful to see his father go downhill in the last months of his life.

“The positive we can take from it, is that he passed before he got really bad as I had dreaded that.”

Following his father’s death, John decided that he would put his plans on hold no longer and do the cycle in aid of dementia charities.

“I thought if I don’t do it now, there is a danger that I won’t ever do it!”

John aims to cycle around 100 miles each day and when he reaches Kerry one of his cycles will be 140 miles long.

He has taken the opportunity to really take in the beautiful scenery he has encountered so far on his journey.

“I have had force myself to take in the scenery, because normally when I’m out cycling I have the head down and I’m really going for it. So I’m trying to make sure I ease off a bit so I have a chance to take it all in and enjoy it, especially with the great weather we are having. I’ve done long cycles before, but never anything to this extent. It is going ok so far and I’m feeling good.”

John hopes to raise £3,000 for charity through the challenge.

“I am raising funds for the UK Dementia Reasearch institute and Alzheimer’s Society Ireland. I will be splitting all the funds raised equally between the two organisations and I wanted to make sure part of the funds I raised went into the research aspect of the disease.”

To donate visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/out-the-road