Robert Taylor, local author and blogger, and resident of Great Massingham, will be taking on a 100km bike ride in September for charity. Robert, 66, is almost totally blind, only having a small amount of periphery vision remaining, he is registered as Severely Sight Impaired. He will be riding on the back of a tandem, along with Pilot Michael Jay. Robert had not ridden a bicycle in well over fifty years when he mounted Vision Norfolk’s tandem in late May. From the first push down on the peddle he said he loved it, regretting it had been missing from his life for so long.
It was thanks to Vision Norfolk, one of the charities they are supporting, who advertised for blind stokers to put themselves forward to take part in cycle rides with West Norfolk CTC. Robert answered the call and has never looked back.
Robert said, “I was a bit on the wobbly side to start with but soon got the hang of it. The worst thing about it was I discovered as the bloke on the back it was down to me to make the directional hand signals. I hadn’t even contemplated taking my hands off the handlebars. We got there in the end.”
Robert is now riding in excess of fifty miles and believes he has plenty left in the tank.
Robert and Michael will be taking part in the annual Norfolk Churches Trust Charity Bike Ride on 12th September, raising funds for Norfolk Churches Trust, St Andrew’s Church in Little Massingham and Vision Norfolk. They are aiming to complete 100km and visit 25 different churches in the process. Their journey will begin at Thoresby College, King’s Lynn Hub of Vision Norfolk, and end at St Andrew’s.
Link to Robert’s fundraising page: https://givewheel.com/fundraising/19880/roberts-blind-bike-ride/
