The Celtic Wiseman Perpetual is a series of gruelling routes for experienced amateur and professional road cyclists. The original Celtic Wiseman (Kernow) was completed in Cornwall in 2018 has progressed through Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Isle of Man before culminating this year with the final ride in Brittany. The routes were set up to raise awareness of Martin Wiseman who had been bed bound with ME for over 11 years from 2008. For several years his muscle wastage was such that he could not even talk, and his parents were forced to rebuild their home to accommodate his needs. The aim of the rides was to pioneer a series of gruelling rides with a similar profiles (approximately 125km, 2,000m elevation, 5 stages) which riders could tackle at their own convenience and, in gratitude, make a donation to the charity.
ME Research UK is proud to have been supported by the fundraising efforts of all involved (especially team members Richard Davies, Aled Edwards, Paul Magee, James Partington, Rob Newnham, and Felicity Newnham) with funds raised being dedicated to funding research into ME/CFS.
This August a team of 6 riders successfully completed the final route in the Celtic Wiseman Perpetual series of rides with a spectacular ride up a mist-capped mountains, along golden beached and through idyllic French villages as part of the 126km Celtic Wiseman (Breizh) route. Richard Davies, who established the original route in 2009 when he used to cycle to see Martin as part of an Ironman Training Program said: “15 years after I was supposed to move in with Martin (something that never happened given his downward spiral with ME), and after a traumatising 10 year battle with ME, it is fantastic that Martin has now recovered and has been able to join the team in France and help support us in order to smash our £25,000 fundraising target in order to fund vital research so that others can make a similar improvement”. Cambridge Graduate Martin, from Downderry in Cornwall, greeted the team at the end of Stage 4 before they embarked on their final stage. He thanked them for their efforts and, drawing on his love of military history, noted that: “…when the Navy SEALS look for new recruits, they do not focus on physical attributes like strength or marksmanship but they look for something more intangible; how candidates forego their own interests and fufil a dedicated role as part of team to achieve, collectively, more than each alone is possible of achieving”.
Richard Davies and Martin Wiseman
Further details of the Celtic Wiseman Perpetual can be found on Facebook and JustGiving.
