Our CEO Andy, has just returned from his epic ‘Andy Over the Andes’ solo cycle ride in Colombia, covering over 600km in just seven days. Starting in Medellin and finishing in Cartagena, the ride took in steep mountain passes, dense jungle tracks, humid swampland and eventually hot coastal paths.
Andy shared: “Apart from the epic scenery, the most memorable part of the trip was meeting such lovely people. The Colombians were great hosts and cooked great meals every night, which I really needed after rides of around 100km a day. I loved the music too and the locals’ great sense of fun.”
The cycle ride was part of The Change Foundation’s campaign to raise funds for our ‘Ukraine Refugee Sports Project’, which has been running for a couple of months in the Poland-Ukraine border town of Przemysl and will soon be launched in villages in the South-East of England, providing summer long sports camps for Ukrainian children now living with British families.
The aim of the camps in the UK is to provide a fun and supportive environment for Ukrainian children to meet other young refugees facing the same unsettling experience and also make friends with children from their host villages.
Andy added: “Everyone has been so generous in donating to this campaign and we hope to reach our £50,000 target in the next couple of weeks. This will enable us to provide a memorable British summer for children who have suffered so much, as well as continuing our work in Poland and possibly expanding it to Moldova, where we have been told there are very few activities or organised sports for children coming over the border from Odessa, Mariupol and Kherson.”
As for Andy’s next challenge, he’s just signed up for the charity’s first ‘Venice kayak, in which a group of charity supporters will be kayaking under 40 bridges in a unique race against time. Andy shared: “At least there are no hills on this next challenge!”
To donate to the Ukraine Refugee Sports Project please follow the link HERE.
