August 07, 2020 - 1000 views
Three former Rydal Penrhos pupils will be taking on a gruelling challenge next weekend to raise funds for a worthy cause.
Tom Harding, Dylan Kerfoot-Robson and Jake Lovatt have come together to try and cycle from Colwyn Bay to Cardiff Bay next Saturday, August 15.
And the ex-Rydal Penrhos trio is aiming to complete the daunting 187-mile journey in around 12 hours, all being well.
They will be supported on the trek by Senior School Head Sally Ann-Harding and Senior Teacher Dave Robson, who will be travelling alongside the group in a minibus kindly provided by the school to further aid the 2014 leavers’ with their quest.
Tom will be joined by fellow members of his Royal Marine corps for the challenge. And they will be raising money for the Walton Centre in Liverpool.
This is a cause that is close to the heart of Rydal Penrhos, as Tom explains: “My Dad, Timothy Harding has been a patient of the Walton Centre for last the 15 years and it’s safe to say they have saved his life on occasion.
“Over the years my dad has performed a few sponsored events culminating in a Colwyn Bay To Cardiff Bay in a day, Bay2Bay".
So this year, I and a few friends are going to take over the responsibility of fundraising for this great charity as my dad is unable to do so.
“The Walton Centre was a place my dad spent a lot of time during The COVID-19 outbreak as at the very beginning he had very serious surgery in order to remove his brain tumour.
“In his recovery after the successful operation, he also contracted coronavirus and lived with it for 12 weeks under the guidance of The Walton Centre. A few days looked bleak and the Walton Centre managed to release him virus-free.”
Dylan is no stranger to the cycling aspect, with the player competing at a high standard professionally.
He also represented Wales at the Commonwealth Games, which represented yet another outstanding achievement to further add to the illustrious history of the school.
Jake is a former rugby captain at Rydal Penrhos who has since gone on to become part of the Royal Air Force. And his sporting exploits saw him play a leading role in the RAF Spitfires team securing a notable tournament victory at the Calcutta 7s.
This is a further reflection of the affinity that pupils of Rydal Penrhos have with the school after moving on to the next stage of their journeys.
The school will always go out of his way to help former pupils with anything they need, and we are delighted to be supporting this challenge in some small way.
Anyone wishing to donate can do so here: https://justgiving.com/fundraising/thomas-harding1996
