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A super Gran from the south of Scotland has begun an incredible bike ride around the country to raise funds for Macmillan Cancer Support.
On Saturday (29/04) Mavis Paterson, 84, took off from the Mull of Galloway in the area where she stays and is aiming to complete the 1,031 mile round-trip in a month’s time.
However, the super-fit pensioner’s venture has a tragic backstory.
Both Mavis’ mother and sister died from cancer, then in an extremely tough decade, Mavis also lost her three adult children within the space of four years.
Mavis’ son Sandy (43) passed away after a heart attack in 2012, her daughter Katie (49) died from pneumonia in 2013 and three years later her other son Bob’s life was ended in an accident (46).
Mavis said, “This is grief that I’ll never get over, to lose all my children was the saddest thing that could happen to me, I didn’t think I’d be able to carry on”.
“It’s like a fire in my belly, when I do a challenge. I’m thinking what will be next, that keeps me going, it helps me both mentally and physically”.
Mavis started her cycle along with two other people, another cyclist and a driver for the campervan , which will be with her throughout the trip to help her on rest periods.
Mavis is today (03/05) continuing her journey by doing 36.1 miles from Ford (Loch Awe) to Oban.
It’s not the first time she has embarked on an adventure like this.
She’s cycled across Australia and the U.S.A and even managed to enter the Guinness Book of Records in 2019, when she became the oldest women to cycle the 960 miles from Lands’ End to John O’ Groats.
She has a growing number of admirers with her cycling exploits and has even had people offering her accommodation during this challenge.
In a recent BBC interview, Mavis talked about the things that locals say to her when she is on her bike.
“They say, you’re amazing, I hear that all the time. I’m not amazing, I’m just Granny Mave and I love what I’m doing, if I can raise money for Macmillan and help, then I’m happy.”
To donate, click on https://www.justgiving.com/page/grannymave1000
Why not give Mavis some well wishes if you see her passing through your area.
