UNDERTAKING a 1,000-mile bike ride isn’t the easiest task for people approaching the age of 60, but that won’t prevent one Purton man from trying.

Ian Cook will ditch his management position for two weeks and focus on managing his endurance instead for his journey from Land’s End to John O’Groats. He will ride alongside family and friends to raise money for the Brighter Futures radiotherapy appeal.

Ian said: “The reason I took it on really was that as I’m getting older these challenges are important as opportunities to make sure you keep moving, and I certainly don’t want to give in to being old.

"It’s always something I would’ve liked to have done. My brother-in-law mentioned it was always on his bucket list and he said, ‘shall we do it,’ and I thought why not, it’s quite a challenge.”

His brother-in-law Jon Cater, wife’s cousin Graham Bond, and friend Phil Crag are putting the miles in ahead of the July 20 start date. Ian recently completed a 95-mile ride in a single day to test his mettle, but sustaining that level will prove difficult, as he explained to the Adver: “Jon and I feel good for doing it. It’s longer and higher than anything we’ve got to do in a day so I’m quietly confident. I think we’ve done enough, but you never know. It’s a long way and a lot can go wrong.”

The Purton man has a personal connection to the radiotherapy appeal. Ian’s father Eric died two years ago from heart failure, but prior to his death he came through a long period of radiotherapy to address his prostate cancer.

Ian said: “His treatment was in Oxford, and the return journey from that treatment was difficult. If that could come to Swindon, it would just be ideal for a lot of patients. It’s really important that they reach their target. The journey there was not a problem but the journey back… It would just be much better if it was on your doorstep.”

“He was a superb father, a great role model and very much an understanding person. He was always one to try to stay young. He had a heart attack in his mid-fifties but carried on until he was 82, so I think that in itself showed a lot of determination.”

Swindon is one of the few areas in the country that does not have access to radiotherapy services within a 45-minute travel time, which can be burdensome for patients who have to make daily journeys to Oxford over a four to seven-week treatment period.

Once Brighter Futures hits its £2.9 million target, the charity will be able to pay for cutting edge clinical equipment for use in the new centre at Great Western Hospital. Around 700 cancer patients a year will benefit from the local services, reducing both their costs in time and money.

To support Ian and bring that day forward, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ian-cook8