Tesco Forres colleagues join paratriathlete Karen Dark on 50 mile sponsored cycle for Outfit Moray
A pair of supermarket employees were joined by a Paralympic cyclist on a 50-mile fundraising challenge around Moray.
Forres Tesco representatives, Anne Gordon and Jenna McRobbie, were part of a group including Paralympic medalist, Karen Darke, that set off from Nairn Road at 9am on Saturday, October 11, travelling via Elgin and Buckie Tesco, finishing at the Keith store at 5pm.
Anne explained that the effort was in aid of Outfit Moray - a Lossie-based charity and social enterprise that offers outdoor learning and adventure to young people.
“We were supporting Karen,” said Anne. “What an inspiring woman she is!”
Darke is a paralympic cyclist, paratriathlete, adventurer and author. She competed at the 2016 Rio Paralympics winning Gold in the Women's road time trial, following winning a silver medal in the Women's road time trial at the 2012 London event.
The former member of the British Para-Cycling team completed the Moray tour on a hand bike.
Anne took her road bike out for the first time this year.
“Some of us were on mountain bikes, some on road bikes,” she said. “Forres to Buckie was great - the scenery was lovely - but Buckie to Keith was hard! It was a challenge on the hills so we walked some of it.
“We went up Rafford, down into Pluscarden, through Miltonduff and Elgin to Garmouth, into Portgordon on to Buckie, then through woods and gravel tracks to Keith which those on mountain bikes loved!
“Getting a big welcome at each store was a lovely feeling.”
Community champions from the other Moray Tescos were on-hand with food, supplies and encouragement.
“Jenna’s daughter Leigh came to Buckie to show us support with friends,” said Anne. “That was lovely.
“It was a fantastic day. The weather was wet at the start but sunny as it went on.”
Tesco teammates, Lesley Fraser and David James, cycled an additional 70 miles in the Forres store with the help of colleagues.
The combined efforts helped raise £213 via the Forres store, nearly £1500 via the four Moray stores and over £2000 in total for Outfit Moray.