Jonny Connop Cycles to Space!
At the beginning of 2023, Jonny Connop set the challenge of cycling higher than the distance of space (330,000ft in elevation) to raise money for the Percy Hedley Foundation.
Jonny Connop is not a stranger when it comes to cycling challenges, having cycled the Scotland North Coast 500 in 7 days during 2016, and the Coast to Coast across America in 2014. But in 2023 he set one of his biggest challenges yet – to cycle higher than the beginning of space, which is the Karman Line at 330,00ft elevation. He even went further and aimed to cycle 364,000ft in elevation across the year.
Through wind, rain and summer heat he cycled on throughout the year in order to raise money in honour of our 70th birthday in 2023.
Even members of the Foundation got involved, with students from both Northern Counties School in Jesmond and Percy Hedley School cycling to cheer him on. On one of these occasions, Jonny got to meet one of our oldest residents Jenny, who joined right as the Foundation began back in 1953. They both spoke to journalists on what the Foundation meant to them.
This challenge was a tremendous effort and finally, just after Boxing Day Jonny completed it:
In 2023 he cycled 364,311ft in elevation!
That’s 5,797 miles across 217 rides, a whopping 449 hours of cycling.
In total he raised £2065 for us.
This will go towards empowering children, young adults and adults with disabilities, as well as their families.
We invited Jonny into Northern Counties School to meet just some of the children he’ll help with those funds.
Thanks so much to Jonny for fundraising for us and congratulations for completing such a magnificent challenge during 2023.
We wonder what other challenges in the future he may want to do for us.
If you want to keep up with Jonny’s challenges and fundraising efforts, you can follow him online via the button below: