Presenter pedals for pounds
From a press release to news@media.info
Posted 28 July 2015, 12.05pm bst
Swindon 105.5’s Dave Woods cycled 105.5 miles on a static bike on Saturday, 25th July, to raise funds for the community station.
The volunteer presenter and producer completed the distance in just over 10 and a half hours, and, thanks to the generosity of sponsors and shoppers at the local Tesco, where he did the challenge, he passed his target of raising £1,055.
Dave had been training at Kiss Gyms in Swindon for a number of months to get himself ready, with guidance from personal trainer Nick Tuckett. He said while it was a struggle, he is delighted to have reached his goal. “This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done to raise money for a good cause. By the end of the ride I was in a great deal of pain and it was only will power and the support of the team around me that I was able to finish the last two hours.
“At the end of it I had a multitude of emotions; elated that I finished, pride at accomplishing this mammoth challenge and very emotional and overwhelmed, in fact at the end I was in tears, which I think was a mixture of pain and relief.”
During the course of the day, Dave even managed to present a radio show while he was on the bike, even getting support from a cycling champion along the way. “During the afternoon, as well as riding, I also was also co-presenting on air and had the opportunity of chatting, via phone, to Andy Tennant, the former World and European champion cyclist, which was fantastic,” said Dave.
“We chatted about him joining Team Wiggins, his hopes for the Olympics in Rio and he also gave me some professional advice how to make it to the finish. I don’t think many people have presented a radio show while riding on a static bike. It was certainly a first for me.”
The radio station costs £40,000 a year to keep running so the money raised will make a big difference.
Station manager Shirley Ludford said: “It is great what Dave has done and shows the dedication of the volunteers who work for the station. I know he has done a lot of training and the money raised will be so important. We often ask others to raise money for us, so it is good I think for everyone to see that we also do our bit.”
The challenge was started at 9.30am by Mayor of Swindon Cllr Andrew Bennett and North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson. The Minister for Disabled People said: “This has been a fantastic effort by Dave. Swindon 105.5 is a vital community station which not only serves the people of Swindon but also helps to build the skills and confidence of those who volunteer there.”
Dave, who was nominated for news producer of the year at last year’s Radio Academy’s Radio Production Awards, has now put his feet up for a couple of days before being back on air this Friday with his weekly news show Friday At Six.