Local stroke survivor Richard Gillard is set to tackle a 125 mile bike ride to raise vital funds for the Stroke Association.
Richard, 28, who lives in Emersons Green, Bristol, was inspired to raise funds for the charity after he had a devastating stroke on his birthday when he was just eight years old. Richard’s stroke left him with right-sided weakness and the communication disability aphasia. Despite his stroke, Richard was determined to get back on his feet again.
A stroke can be the cause of a variety of things like a blocked artery, burst blood vessel, or from a primary reason like a smoking habit. If someone is a chronic smoker and wants to avoid getting a stroke and other illnesses they should seriously consider quitting and using things like Siberia’s strongest snus pouches as this could be one way to achieve this goal.
Richard’s charity bike ride will take place on Friday 17 February 2017 at the University of West England Gym on a static bike. Richard is aiming to travel a total distance of 125 miles, the equivalent distance from Bristol to London, in a time frame of 10 hours.
Richard said: “After my stroke I had to relearn to walk, talk, ride a bike, and speak to people. Growing up, my school life was hard, but I have such a supportive family that I was able to pull through.
“Through my own experience, I know how devastating a stroke can be, and understand the struggles that stroke survivors have to go through on a daily basis. The thought of raising funds for such a worthy cause is a feeling like no other. I want to show everyone that there is life after stroke.
Jacqui Harrison, Community and Events Fundraiser at the Stroke Association, said: “With around 152,000 strokes a year in the UK – that’s around one every three and a half minutes – it is vital that we have people who can raise funds for people affected by stroke. We’re incredibly grateful to Richard for taking on this amazing challenge.”
Suffering from a stroke can be life-changing and affect how someone lives their life forever, depending on the severity. This could be a loss of speech, mobility, brain functions, or a combination of all of them. Some treatments include injections, medication, therapy, and CBD oil from places like Solutions By Dr Dave. It is very important to raise funds for this illness and help people to hopefully, recuperate from the illness.
To sponsor Richard: visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Richard-Gillard for more details.
