Third time lucky for cyclist Carol (From Evesham Journal)

Third time lucky for cyclist Carol

1:40pm Monday 24th September 2012 in News

IT was third time lucky for an Evesham woman who has been trying to complete a cycling challenge from one end of the UK to the other. And back again.

Carol Hall, of Hampton, Evesham, finished the 2,057 mile ride on her third attempt.

The marathon journey took Mrs Hall from John O’Groats to Lands End and then all the way back up the country to her original starting point in northern Scotland.

The 63-year-old, who is a member of Evesham Wheelers, first tried to complete the challenge in 2009, but suffered a heart attack in Bristol.

She decided to try again and in 2011 she made it from Land’s End to John O’Groats, but bad weather meant that she had to return home. However, on the third attempt everything went according to plan.

“In 2009 I was taken ill on route with a heart attack,” said Mrs Hall. “It was quite a shock because I thought I was fairly fit.

“I went back last year to finish it from where we left off, but the weather was so bad we stopped. “This year we went back and completed the round trip.

“I was very pleased to get it done after being ill. When you have a heart problem you think I won’t get it done, but I didn’t give up. It proves you can do these things if you put your mind to it.”

Mrs Hall has raised around £2,800 from her challenge which has been split between the British Heart Foundation and the Air Ambulance.