Lands End to John O’Groats? It’s all in 10 days work for ‘Limmy’ and ‘Moly’

Mike Limb and Steve Molyneux arrive into our fundraising office bouncing like two coiled springs, ready to tell us of their 10 day bike ride from Lands End to John O’Groats (LEJOG) in June.

‘Limmy’ and ‘Moly’ are two great guys, chatting away, enthusing about the hospice and making everyone feel like they too could jump on a bike and complete the challenge themselves, right there and then!

Mike, ‘Limmy’, is the ‘keen cyclist’ who enjoys getting out whenever he can and Steve, ‘Moly’, is the mad keen, lifelong racing cyclist who competed full time in France when he was a little younger.

Through family, Mike’s wife Sue was with us in our Inpatients ward in 2015, and friends, their mutual good pal, Bruce’s wife, Amanda, was also cared for at the hospice only weeks before Sue was admitted, they have really special reasons for supporting the hospice.

It’s not the first time they have raised funds for, the “unbelievable” care and support they both witnessed at Wirral Hospice St John’s. Limmy and Moly were part of a team of cyclists who completed the London to Paris bike ride in 2017.

Both ladies passed away at the hospice having lived with cancer which is why Mike and Steve, and their family and friends, are also supporters of the Clatterbridge Cancer Charity which also does essential, inspiring, work for their patients.

Their trip was wholly self-funded meaning 100% of the donations now go directly into their two chosen charities.

And so, despite Limmy needing rotator cuff surgery on his left shoulder, (which was completed following their LEJOG challenge, OUCH!), they set off on 15th June, with Mike in a shoulder harness, ready to complete 100 miles per day for 10 days.

Wowweeeee! Incredible!

For the first four days they were accompanied by good friend Ian Keelan on his bike, while Steve’s wife, Karen, and Mike’s partner, Deb, were in charge of the support vehicle, always within driving distance should there be an emergency.

Moly was keen to tell us that amazingly they had had only one puncture (Limmy) and a small mechanical repair (Limmy too) for the whole journey! Lady Luck was certainly smiling down upon our determined duo.

At day 4 they were already here in the Northwest and a host of their friends came out to meet them at the Little Coffee Shop in Huxley, near Chester (picture in the banner above shows Limmy and Moly holding the ‘Proud to Support’ hospice banner). Ian had to peel off at this stage due to work commitments and Limmy and Moly completed the next 600 miles as a pair.

Like many others who have completed a LEJOG expedition they met people along the way who wanted to donate and, each morning, facing 100 miles ahead, it was the thought of all those, and their other family and friends backing them with donations along with the encouraging social media shout-outs which kept them focused and determined to overcome tiredness and sore body parts!

Chamois cream is, apparently, the most precious commodity that any keen cyclist can pack with their essentials. Applied copiously (in a spot Moly describes most eloquently, you can guess where) chamois cream is the go-to pain reliever so that people can continue to ride, so to speak, ‘by the seat of their pants!’

Oooh Matron!

A good friend of Mike and and Steve’s, Terry Hughes, sadly also now passed away, had recommended the Peak Tours company’s 10-day LEJOG cycling routes and, with only about 70 miles of the entire 1,000 mile trip on main roads, they provided a stunning and safe route to follow.

And, so it was, that on Friday 24^th June, the lads arrived safely at John O’Groats to be greeted by (pictured here on the right), Mike’s daughters Steph and Phoebe at either end, Mike and Deb, Steve and Karen and their daughter, Charlotte and the dogs, Luna on the left and Archie on the right.

Sirs, Limmy and Moly, thank you so, so much! We are truly, truly, grateful.

Limmy and Moly’s sponsorship page for Wirral Hospice St John’s is still open for a short while longer if you’d like to make a donation towards their fantastic efforts please visit, https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/limmy-lejog22-wh

If you’d like to take on a challenge for Wirral Hospice St John’s check out www.wirralhospice.org/eventsandcompanies and, as soon as you’re ready, get in touch with our friendly Fundraising team on 0151-343-0778 or fundraising@wirralhospice.org and we’ll support you all the way!