When Sam and his close friends were deciding on a fundraising challenge which had the right blend of tough, uncomfortable but also enjoyable, they came up with the idea of a cycle ride from Land’s End to their home village of Chobham in Surrey – and so ‘LEChob’ was born! Taking on the 300 mile journey over three days seemed a good way of raising funds for CLDF, who had been there for Sam and his family when his five year old daughter, Jasmine, was listed for an emergency liver transplant last December.
“ We wanted to set ourselves a challenge that would test our nerve but be achievable with the right amount of training”, Sam explains. “ It was certainly tougher than we anticipated – especially the relentless Cornish and Devon hills on Day One. But we were a great team – we persevered and kept each other going and smiling through the pain. The fact that we had a personal connection with the charity we were fundraising for definitely helped, and seeing that total gradually rising gave us the drive to keep getting up at daybreak each day and back out on the road home.”
Although it was undoubtedly a tough challenge, Sam found that his friends from the local Chobham community were up for it. “We had all been affected by Jazzy’s illness so I was fortunate to have good numbers early on”, he says. “From Land’s End there were eight of us riders with our team driver in the support van keeping tabs on us at all times. Two more joined us the next day in Somerset, and on the last day a further two joined us in Whitchurch, Hampshire to ride home with us. So going into Chobham were 12 LEChob cyclists and our team logistics manager which felt great!
“What was more difficult was trying to find time to dedicate to training whilst balancing family and work, but the core LEChob team gave it serious attention (some more than others!) and we knew a tight group would be advantageous.
At this point I must give a special mention to our wives, kids, friends, and our local community. There were 12 of us on bikes but a challenge like this involves more than those actually taking part. This felt like a community project; one where we came together, celebrated together, and did something worthwhile that will hopefully make a difference. So here’s to our families and friends for all their energy helping us achieve the ambition too. Thank you!
“In terms of fundraising we decided to choose a target that felt do-able so we started off at £6k. It was clear from the get-go that we were going to get supported, however, so every week or so, we’d increase the limit. Deep down we were optimistic that we could reach our true target of £20k and we’re so delighted now that we’ve exceeded this.
“A challenge like this takes real dedication to organise and we each felt at points that it might not be doable. But we were a great team; we picked each other up when it was hard and celebrated all the little wins along the way. I have to say that three days of good weather with not one single drop of rain helped massively!
“And although we know we were tired and a bit sore at the end, when you compare what happened to Jazzy before Christmas, learning that her liver had not been working properly since she was born and that she needed an emergency liver transplant – we knew the challenge had to stack up.
“The incredible support and remarkable Liver teams at Kings College Hospital (Rays of Sunshine, PICU & PHDU ward teams) that we were newly exposed to – and just how professional they all were, it put everything in perspective. Without the CLDF providing such clear answers to our constant questions, we would have been lost. It was a very easy choice to pick CLDF as our chosen charity and we hope that the funds raised will go towards helping other families like mine – and we know as a family we’ll be leaning on the CLDF in the years ahead.
“Jasmine herself hasn’t looked back since she received her transplant just before Christmas. She returned to school just after February half-term . She’s got her energy back, her mischievousness has returned and she’s dancing again. When we think how our lives were turned upside down on December 15th when we were told her liver was failing, it’s remarkable to think that she now has her whole life ahead of her. Seeing her waiting for us on the finish line brought me to tears as you can imagine. A fundraising challenge shouldn’t be easy. But it’s a real privilege to gather a group of friends together and do something which is so positive and optimistic.”
A huge thank you to everyone named below who made LEChob happen:
Core LEChob Team Riders: Matthew Brehaut, David Showell, Jamie Hatfield, Alex Vero, Neil Franklin, Justin Pearce, Dominic Witherow & Sam Moqbel
Team Driver / Logistics Manager: Jamie Fortescue
Last day joiners/riders: Chris Harding, Simon Aird, Alex Macpherson, Mark Irvine-Fortescue
LEChob Sponsors:
St. Frank’s: https://www.st-franks.com/
Mantra: https://mantraliving.co.uk/
The Four Horseshoes, Chobham: https://www.fourhorseshoeschobham.co.uk/
Garmin: https://www.garmin.com/en-GB/
You can still support the challenge at https://www.justgiving.com/page/sam-moqbel-1708267782170.
