Cavanna Homes chairman completes epic 450km Kenyan cycling challenge in memory of son
Our Non-Executive Chairman has completed an extraordinary 450km cycling challenge across Kenya in memory of his late son, raising money to support young adults living with cancer.
Jason Schofield, who had little cycling experience before taking on the challenge, spent six days tackling intense heat, rocky roads and gruelling climbs to raise funds for Henry’s Project and Sarcoma UK.
The challenge was originally set by Jason’s late son, Henry, and saw him cover 450km across the Kenyan landscape, climbing a total of 5,895 metres along the way. That’s almost the equivalent of cycling up Mount Kilimanjaro from sea level.
On his toughest day, Jason tackled 1,345 metres of climbing in just three hours, an elevation gain greater than the height of Ben Nevis.
Despite being a relative newcomer to cycling, Jason was determined to complete the challenge in Henry’s memory and raise awareness of the difficulties faced by young adults diagnosed with cancer.
The money raised will support two causes close to his heart.
Henry’s Project is a charity being established to help people aged between 26 and 40 who are diagnosed with cancer, providing support to help them maintain as much normality as possible while undergoing treatment.
The second beneficiary, Sarcoma UK, is a national charity dedicated to improving outcomes for people affected by sarcoma, a rare form of cancer that develops in bone or soft tissue.
Sarcoma accounts for less than one per cent of all cancer diagnoses, and research into some of its rarer forms remains significantly underfunded.
Jason said: “Henry was the inspiration behind this challenge, and remembering why I was doing it kept me going through some incredibly difficult moments.
“I’m certainly not a cyclist, so there were times when the heat, the climbs and the sheer distance felt overwhelming. But I was determined to see it through and hopefully raise both money and awareness for two causes that mean an enormous amount to me, my wife Sarah, and Henry’s brother Edward and sister Freya as well as the rest of our family and friends.
“Young adults facing cancer should have every opportunity to continue living their lives as fully as possible, and I hope the money raised will make a meaningful difference.”
The team at Cavanna Homes, which has been building homes across the South West for more than 100 years, has congratulated Jason on his achievement and is encouraging colleagues and members of the public to support his fundraising efforts.
Anyone wishing to support Jason’s challenge can donate through his JustGiving page at:
