Derry ultra-cyclist Joe aiming to beat world record for cancer charity

Joe’s efforts are in support of Cancer Fund for Children which provides short breaks for children impacted by cancer and their families at their therapeutic centre, Daisy Lodge in Newcastle Co. Down.

Joe, from Eglinton, is taking on the challenge to cycle 2,180 miles (3,508 Km) in 168 hours as a tribute to his son, Ross (15), who was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2007.

Off the back of an incredible 45+ year professional cycling career, Joe (62) is taking on the mammoth challenge of beating the world record currently held by Scottish cyclist Josh Quigley, at an incredible 2,179 miles.

Whilst Joe has always had a passion for cycling, his motivation to compete in his first endurance cycling race in 2009 was in honour of his son and to raise funds for Daisy Lodge.

Against the odds, in 2008, Ross got to celebrate his second birthday, having been diagnosed at just five months old with a malignant brain tumour. Following numerous rounds of treatment, he is now a thriving 15 year old.

In the early years of Ross’s cancer diagnosis, he and his family were invited to Cancer Fund for Children’s short break centre in Newcastle for some much-needed respite from the constant hospital appointments, tests and treatments and all that goes with a cancer diagnosis in a family.

“Every family in Ireland with a cancer diagnosis should have the opportunity to experience Daisy Lodge, It’s a fantastic place,” says Joe. “Whenever you go down there, they just do everything for you - so, effectively, it’s a home from home and it allowed us to be together as a ‘normal’ family again and that’s why I’m so motivated to raise as much funds as I can to support the new Daisy Lodge set to be built in Cong, Co. Mayo.”

Joe retired from professional cycling in 2004 but got back on the bike in 2009 to fundraise for Ross and, more than ten years later, is still going strong.

He has competed in numerous endurance races around the world including the 3000+ mile Race Across America. He has won the 1,500-mile Race Around Ireland twice and holds multiple endurance world records in Ireland. This 7-day Highest Mileage Guinness World Record will be his most ambitious record attempt and will take in the very challenging cross Ireland route of Malin Head to Mizen Head - three times!

The planned centre in Mayo is inspired by Daisy Lodge in Co. Down which currently supports 450 families a year.

“The capacity in Newcastle is not sufficient to meet the all-Ireland demand and that’s why we desperately need this second centre,” said Cancer Fund for Children CEO Phil Alexander.

“We are so grateful to Joe for helping to raise funds for such a life-changing facility for children and their families. At Cancer Fund for Children, we understand that, behind every childhood cancer diagnosis, there is a whole family affected and beyond the essential medical care there is a family life that needs to be rebuilt. A new Daisy Lodge in Mayo would mean so much to these families”.

A second Daisy Lodge in Mayo will allow Cancer Fund for Children to increase the number of families they can support to 1,000 per year. This new project will effectively ensure that no child in Ireland will face cancer alone.

You can donate to Joe’s Guinness World Record Challenge at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/joeguinnessworldrecord

You can also follow his progress at: Instagram: @teamjoebarr and Twitter: @TeamJoeBarr

For more information about Cancer Fund for Children, go to www.cancerfundforchildren.com.