A Wilburton man is hoping that his next cycling challenge will help cheer to those who need it most this Christmas.

Ollie Wright will embark on the ‘sunrise to sunset’ ride, a 131-mile route that he’s planning to cover in under eight hours for charity, riding from his home village towards the likes of Newmarket, Huntingdon and Histon before finishing in Haddenham.

He plans to tackle the feat on Sunday, December 20, a day before the shortest day of the year, and like his previous rides, he will be going alone.

“The sunrise to sunset ride has been a journey I have always wanted to do, especially in the winter with the shortest daylight hours, just to see how far I can go,” Ollie said.

“I aim to start at 8am and finish before 4pm. It’s going to be quite tough, but I’m feeling confident once I get my brain into gear and decide which charity I will ride for, possibly NHS Charities.”

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Ollie, who is no stranger to long bike rides, raised funds for NHS Charities in August after cycling through the Fens in 10 hours and 35 minutes, and will launch a fundraising page soon.

He has also been nominated for the Jonnie Peacock Award ahead of the Living Sport Virtual Sports Awards ceremony in December, where he hopes to make the shortlist which will be announced next month.

Although Ollie has not yet started full practice for the ride, he wants to help those who may endure a tough festive period to see that they can overcome their own challenges.

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“I’m incredibly lucky to have been nominated; it’s a mystery how because I still don’t know,” he said.

“I think with Christmas approaching, if I go lower (with fundraising target), it will give more people a chance to sponsor me and build up to spending for their Christmas shopping, which could be a lot different this year.

“Christmas can be a tough time for people who don’t have families; I used to have friends I went to school with that spend Christmas on their own and they have told me it isn’t pleasant.

“With this in mind, it’s about learning how to overcome those obstacles, working your way through a challenge in life and coming out the other side.”

The public can vote for their favourite by midnight on Sunday, October 25. To vote, go to https://www.livingsport.co.uk/public-vote.