A GRANDMOTHER from Droitwich has just completed a 300 miles cycle ride from London to Paris to raise money for children’s charity Action Research Medical.

Ann Bennett, who is a painter and private tutor, was inspired to take part in the ride after her brother Andy passed away from a brain stem aneurysm nearly two years ago.

As children they had spent much of their time cycling, and Ann’s other brother Matt had already completed the challenge 10 times.

Blogging for the charity she said: “Cycling was part of my childhood. Coming from a family with six children and living in a tiny wooded village on top of a hill, many, many hours were spent flying around on our bikes in a little gang of boys and girls, in and out of the woods, churchyard and disused garages. It was idyllic.”

She added: “My remaining brother (I have three sisters), Matt, moved back home to Worcestershire with his family. He brought with him all the inspiration I needed to do this ride. Matt’s cycled London to Paris 10 times now: my memories of us as children are so happy and clear it seemed fitting to do this with him on his 10th ride to remember our big brother.

Ann, who has three children, including a severely autistic son, and two grandchildren, used her cycling training to help her deal with her grief, while also getting fit, and she called it a form of therapy. After signing up for the ride she also received a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, which she says just added to the challenge.

She said: “This cycle ride became something very important to me, all the elements that made up this trip: the training, fundraising, logistics regarding home arrangements, travelling down to London with my brother and nephew, leaving Blackheath when the sun came up, hitting the green fields, climbing the Essex Downs (and not getting off), hearing the seagulls near Dover, having a pint with my brother and then seeing the white cliffs. The darkness of Calais, beautiful French countryside and friendly French drivers, endless French cornfields and the blazing sun, great food, great hotels, making new friends and laughing until I cried.

“The sense of accomplishment on reaching Paris was enormous but I was surprisingly overwhelmed by an intense sadness that my daughter Rosa wasn’t there to meet me and probably for the permanent loss of my brother Andy. This had all started with me finding a time and a place to grieve during the training. It served that purpose and gave me so much more but, of course, it didn’t bring him back.”

Ann is planning on taking part in the London to Paris ride again next year. To read her blog posts on this year’s ride, or donate to her fundraising efforts, visit action.org.uk/blog/2015/09/17/remembering-our-big-brother.