By Deborah Risbridger
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October 11, 2024
Ringwood Businessman Aiming to Raise £10k Cycling 500km on Ride Africa for Child.org . November 9 th – 16 th , local businessman and charity fund raiser Michael ‘Micky’ Chilman, 62 from Ringwood, along with his long-suffering buddy, Rob Pimenta from Kent, will join 80 top cyclists in the 500km Ride Africa Kenya : Mara Calling challenge from Lake Nakuru to the world famous Masai Mara National Park in the hope of collectively raising hundreds of thousands of pounds for Child.org. This is the fifth time Micky (pictured left above) has undertaken the gruelling ride for Child.org the charity that supports maternal and child healthcare in Kenya. The pair are completely self-funding the expedition whilst aiming to raise an impressive £10k for the charity, through several fundraising events and sponsorship support. “This is going to be a very demanding Ride Africa classic ride of over 500km, and unbelievably our fifth ride across Africa! It will be even more insane and ridiculously more difficult than any of the others! CHILD.org somehow manages to raise the bar on every ride that we do. Two years we cycled through National Parks with lions, elephants, hippos, giraffes, zebras, hyenas, water buffalo, plus other animals that wanted to kill us. This year we have more to worry about including cheetahs which can outrun us! Plus, those enormous hills that go on forever, the extreme heat and humidity and my poor posterior which really does not want to do another one of these challenges! As in previous years we are all cycling in aid of CHILD.org, which has sustained, helped, and cared for and saved the lives of thousands of children and mums and people in need across the poorest regions in Africa, and the poorest regions across the world. It works with pregnant women, communities and Governments to champion community-based solutions and keep mums and babies alive and healthy.” Micky has arranged a host of fundraising events including a well-supported quiz night held in the tithe barn at The Elm Tree during September, which raised over £4k, and to date the pair have raised £7k for the charity. To donate please visit Micky Chilman - Child.org To speak to Micky please call 07790 485702.