Pedal power pays off as Kenny completes epic trip

Nov 6 2008 by Gary Fanning, Hamilton Advertiser

A BIG-HEARTED Hamilton man cycled a whopping 892 miles from John o’ Groats to Land’s End to raise cash for charity.

Intrepid Kenny Strain, of Royellan Avenue, got on his bike to raise a magnificent £650 for the British Heart Foundation.

It took the 29-year-old finance recruitment consultant 11 days to complete the epic journey from John o’ Groats, the second-most northerly point in mainland Scotland (after Dunnet Head) to reach Land’s End, the most south-westerly point in Britain.

After his marathon trip, Kenny told the Advertiser: “It went a lot better than I had imagined

“The worst part was cycling into the strong winds and heavy rain.

“My feet and hands were freezing.

“It was an amazing experience, however, and I would certainly recommend other people to do it.”

And he added: “I don’t know if I would do it again – maybe the next time in a hotter climate!”

Kenny decided to raise the cash on behalf of the British Heart Foundation after three of his grandparents died from heart attacks.

The charity cycle is not the first time Kenny, who was born in Saudi Arabia and grew up in Hamilton, set himself a huge challenge.

Earlier this year, he walked 170 miles from Inverness to Glasgow via the Great Glen Way and West Highland Way in seven days.

Kenny, a former pupil of Earnock High School, said of his bike journey: “I found the people were very helpful along the way.

“They were always very interested in what I was doing.

“On the first day of the trip, I was cycling from Fort William to Hamilton and encountered a puncture in Blantyre’s Bardykes Road.

“A man stopped in his jeep, gave me a lift and dropped me off at my house before donating £20.”

“I got the train up to Thurso and I got speaking some of the Tartan Army who were in my carriage. They had a whip-round and gave me £40.

“All these little things made it worthwhile.”

Kenny would like to thank everyone who has sponsored him, especially Centre Bikes in Wishaw for providing him with cycling equipment.

Kenny is aiming to raise at least £1000 and people can still support his fund-raising effort by going on to his webpage at http://www.justgiving.com/kennystrain-jogle