BRYAN Simmans is preparing to take on a challenging cycle from London to Brighton – off-road – to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and raise awareness of accessible housing.
The 65-year-old cyclist is passionate about accessible housing as it helped his mum stay safe and independent in her home for longer.
He moved into his mum’s home in Wylye Lodge, Wilton, five years ago to support her when she was unwell.
“For disabled and older people like my mother, having a home that’s designed to allow you to move about more freely, one you can get around, and use inside and out – not just live on the ground floor – is so important for a person’s independence, health and wellbeing,” Bryan said.
“I can honestly say that accessible homes can change lives for the better.”
The Wilton development was designed for disabled and older people and contains 27 accessible and adaptable flats, 12 of which are wheelchair accessible, and is owned by accessible housing specialist, Habinteg Housing Association.
Having lived with a painful heart condition when he was younger, Bryan is also using his personal experience to fuel his support for BHF.
“My heart condition, although not life threatening, was very painful,” he said.
“Even though I haven’t experienced it for years now, it was a very worrying time.
“I want to raise money for BHF to help it fund lifesaving research into heart and circulatory diseases.”
Now, he is preparing to embark on the London to Brighton off-road bike ride on September 19.
It takes a challenging 61-mile, off-road route from Walton-on-Thames, across the South Downs on to the coast at Hove Lawns.
Bryan has been training for the sporting challenge since the beginning of the year, cycling the 10-mile round trip from his home in Wilton to his garden-centre workplace and back each day.
Leave a Reply