We broke the tandem Guinness World Record raising money for Mind.
Veterinary surgeon Laura Massey-Pugh explains how her latest fundraising effort raised more than £3,700 for us.
I’ve always used cycling to manage my mental health, but it wasn’t until I met my husband Stevie that I started tandem cycling. It’s great because it levels out our abilities. Stevie is a faster cyclist than me, and this way he’s not always waiting for me to catch up.
Tandem cycling is all about teamwork, and it can be quite challenging to cycle long distances together.
“We were so focused on breaking the 180 days we didn’t have time to stop and enjoy the Canadian Rockies or breathtakingly beautiful New Zealand scenery.”
My husband Stevie and I have just completed a world circumnavigation by tandem bicycle and set a new Guinness World Record as the fastest around the world tandem record. We managed it in 179 days 12 hours and 25 minutes. It was an intense challenge. We were so focused on breaking the 180 days we didn’t have time to stop and enjoy the Canadian Rockies or breathtakingly beautiful New Zealand scenery. It was a case of get up early, ride hard and the eat and prepare for the next day. Riding long distances is not just about physical endurance, you have to be in a good place mentally too.
We raised over £12,000 for various charities including, £3,771 for Mind. It’s so important to look after your mental health as well as your physical health. The veterinary industry in which I work has a particularly high case of suicide rates and poor mental health. I’ve been signed off work with stress myself. It’s a very demanding industry with long hours, and whilst it can be very rewarding it is a tough profession to be in.
Raising awareness of mental health problems is so important. Mind has a great website and helplines, so it’s a really good place to signpost people to.
“I like to spend time outside every day to manage my mental health – whether that’s a walk, run or even a gentle cycle believe it or not!”
I have struggled with ‘post-adventure blues’ which is the comedown after a big fundraising event like this. We’ve had to ease ourselves back into everyday life by spending time taking walks and seeing friends and family. I like to spend time outside every day to manage my mental health – whether that’s a walk, run or even a gentle cycle believe it or not!
We haven’t got another fundraising challenge planned as this one has taken a lot out of us, but I would recommend others give tandem riding a go. It’s really great in terms of teamwork and you get a lot of attention wherever you go.
Fundraising for Mind is much more than just raising money – although every little bit helps. It’s about raising awareness of mental health and watching out for people. There’s so much to be done and it’s important to spread the message that help is out there.
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