A 100-year-old woman is cycling the length of Great Britain – on a static bike.
Ivy Richmond was gifted the bike by her nieces Amanda Richmond, 66, and Sarah Norman, 72, to help her keep fit in her older years.
She has already had an action packed 12 months after recently climbing the equivalent of Mount Everest up and down her staircase.
She climbed nine flights of 18 stairs a day starting on her 99th birthday, reaching a total of 10,000 meters and surpassing Everest’s 8,850m summit in just under a year.
But after raising £2,630 for St. Ormond Street hospital with her epic climb, Ivy wasn’t ready to stop there, and after just a few weeks, she has undertaken a new challenge.
The 100-year-old has now committed to cycling the length of the UK from Lands End in Cornwall to John o’ Groats in Scotland on her static bike.
Ivy has been cycling for 15 minutes every day since starting her journey on November 8 and has so far completed approximately 100 miles of the 874 mile trip.
A poster on her wall, made by her nieces, shows the equivalent of the route she’s cycling to keep Ivy motivated and to track her progress.
Her family expects the cycle to take Ivy the best part of a year, which will give her something to concentrate on for the future.
Ivy, from Kesgrave, Suffolk, said: “I am pleased to be cycling now – I’ve certainly had enough of climbing stairs!
“I am grateful for the bike from my wonderful nieces and I’m happy to be making good use of it.
Amanda from Ipswich, Suffolk, said: “15 minutes cycling a day on top of the other exercise she does is keeping her fit and healthy.
“The fact she’s taking on another challenge at the same time is amazing.
“We are all extremely proud of her and what she’s achieving.”
