TEN miles from the finish line, a tearful Lisa was ready to give up.

But Ride for Radiotherapy rider Lisa Utting’s best friend gave her the pep talk of her life.

“Just imagine what cancer patients have to go through every day,” said friend Janet Reynolds, who lost her mum to breast and pancreatic cancers last August.

It was enough to get 38-year-old Lisa to the finish line.

Lisa, who works in the Great Western Hospital’s fundraising team, joked: “I’ve never been so pleased to see the hospital and my place of work in all my life.”

The Redhouse woman was one of 110 riders who took on the Ride for Radiotherapy on Saturday.

The fundraising challenge saw cyclists take on distances of 20 miles, 46 miles or 70 miles.

The gruelling route took them over the undulating hills of Wiltshire – riding a circular route that looped out towards Newbury.

Lisa, for whom the 70-mile ride was only the seventh time she’s been back on the bike since her teenage years, said: “It broke me. It was a great ride, but very, very challenging.

“I did have a bit of a wobble at 60 miles and if Janet hadn’t been there, I don’t know if I’d have got through it.”

A seasoned fundraiser, Lisa had completed the new Swindon Half Marathon just a fortnight before – and the day after the 70-mile cycle ride she power-walked her way around the Hackpen 10km race.

She has already raised £300 from the three-part challenge. After years of asking her friends to sponsor her for charity events, it’s a figure of which she’s proud.

Pal Janet Reynolds, 38, was perhaps better prepared for the ride. A keen cyclist, chef Janet pedals to work every day.

She said: “It was brilliant, the race was so well organised. Everyone was so nice.”

Janet described crossing the finish line as an “amazing” experience. “All our family and friends were there. Everyone was there supporting us,” she said.

But there was one special lady missing. Janet’s mum, Maureen, passed away last year after a 10-year cancer battle.

After chemotherapy failed and the cancer spread, the Moredon mum had to make the ‘exhausting’ 70-mile round trip to Oxford.

“It was very tiring – very exhausting for her,” Janet said.

Ferndale resident Janet wants to make sure that others don’t have to face the same journey. She said: “Not having to travel every day would just have made such a difference.”

So far, Janet has raised £600 towards the Brighter Futures appeal.

Fundraising rider Dave Carr, a 61-year-old plasterer, completed the ride despite having had his bike stolen just weeks before the race.

Dave, who was diagnosed with kidney cancer last December, said: “We had a burglary in the house the Tuesday before last and we had bikes, iPads, phones and cameras stolen – about £3,000-worth.

“I had signed up to do this, so I had to go out and buy a new bike.”

Catherine Newman, head of fundraising at the Great Western Hospital, thanked all the riders for their efforts.

So far, they think that the ride has raised £12,000 towards the £2.9million appeal to build a new radiotherapy unit at GWH.

It’s believed that the fundraising total could rise even higher – to £15,000 – once all the sponsorship cash is counted.

“It was fantastic,” said Catherine of the event.

“We had more riders that we have ever had before. And we were just so lucky with the weather. We’d been keeping an eye on it all week, but we woke up on Saturday and saw the most beautiful sunrise.”

The ride had been supported by a team of committed volunteers, handing out tea, cake, encouragement – and medals at the finish line.

Catherine said: “There was a really great atmosphere.”

As well as helping their fellow competitors, riders found time to help others stranded along the route. In a strange twist, one group of cyclists stopped to help an abandoned dog – found wandering along the gutter.

“They gave it some of their water and flagged down a car,” Catherine said.

But, for the fundraiser, the most emotional moment in the ride came as colleague Lisa crossed the finish line. “She’s such a tough character,” Catherine said. “To see her in tears on the finish line was hard. We all just ran to her and gave her a massive hug.”

To donate to Brighter Futures, fill in the form on this page or visit: www.brighterfuturesgwh.nhs.uk.