The following story was submitted by Emma Christison:

I'm undertaking a 1000 mile sponsored charity bike ride with my 5 kids on August the 4th 2009. I do believe that being brought up on Islay does make you into quite a resilliant and broad minded person and it has also given me the ability to take on mad challenges without giving them a second thought - while the rest of the "normal" world however is shocked and horrified that you are even considering doing something so outrageous.

I came up with the idea of a sponsored bike ride last year as a fundraiser for our Scout Group - they are going to Uganda next year to help build a school. This Expedition was dreamed up by one of our Scout Leaders when he was on a walking expedition in the Pyrenees- he believes that it was the lack of oxygen that led to the idea of an Expedition to Uganda. Fortunately, the idea bore fruit and Nile 2010 was born. So, in order to fund the trip and to build the school, the Scouts have to raise a minimum of £100,000, which is an awful lot of fundraising. Continue reading....

My daughter, Theresa, is one of the members of the Nile 2010 Expedition and so far she has raised £2800. BUT we need to raise much more money which is why we came up with the idea of a sponsored bike ride, not just any old sponsored bike ride but the mother of all sponsored bike rides - John O Groats to Lands End.

As I couldnt get anyone to look after my 2 youngest for 4 weeks, we decided that the easiest solution would be to take them with us, So there will be me, Ryan (age 14), Theresa (age12), Carlos (age 9 ), (Sasha age 5) and Jessica (age 4) and not forgetting, Dexter (the School Teddy Bear) cycling for 3 and a half weeks to cover 1000 miles. Roland -who is renovating the old Islay Hotel in Port Ellen, is hopefully finding sponsors for us. So if your'e on Islay and would like to sponsor us, seek him out and tell him that you would like to sponsor "Emma's bike ride".

If you would like to sponsor us online or for more information, please visit www.justgiving.com/emmachristisonnile2010

Thank you, Emma

Emma and her kids. Image courtesy daily echo

Tag: charity cycling