Sprue’s Olympic torchbearer gets on his bike for charity
Having had the honour of being selected as an OIympic torchbearer this summer, Sprue’s senior mechanical design engineer, Chris Bolger, has swapped his white Olympic tracksuit for cycling Lycra as he prepares for a challenging 370 mile bike ride from Paris to London to raise money for Help for Heroes.
Chris was selected as a torchbearer in recognition of the money he has already raised for Help for Heroes – more than £5,000 and counting – but he’s not stopping there! Chris and his partner Hannah Rogers are aiming to raise a further £5,000 by taking part in next May’s fundraising bike ride.Due to the large scale public and celebrity support for the charity, most people are aware of the fantastic work that Help for Heroes undertakes. However, it’s that bit more personal for Chris. In May 2009 Chris’ 30 year old brother Stephen was killed in action in Afghanistan. Stephen was a brave and talented soldier, much loved by the team he worked alongside. Although there was nothing that could be done to help Stephen, Chris and his family are confident that, had his injuries been less severe, he would almost certainly have benefited from the fantastic work that Help for Heroes does.
‘Help for Heroes provides really valuable support for our troops and I’m glad to have the opportunity to support them,’ said Chris. ‘By undertaking this challenging bike ride, Hannah and I hope we can do our small bit to help raise more vital funds to allow them to continue with their work. It’s our way of trying to make sure something good comes out of such a tragic event for our family.’
The Paris to London bike ride is spread over five days, with an average of around 70 miles of cycling a day. The cyclists will take time to stop at important battle sites in both Northern France and Southern Britain, to pay their respects to those who have fought and lost their lives for their country. Chris and Hannah are aiming to add to the £5,000 they raised back in 2010 when Chris undertook a similar bike ride across Northern France.
Chris and Hannah have already received great support from Sprue Safety Products, Coventry City Football Club and Prodrive.
If you would like to make a donation please visit Chris and Hannah’s fundraising page at: www.bmycharity.com/hannahandchris
