Charity tandem riders heading to Llanelli

Forest fires, floods, windstorms and getting hit by a truck – just a few of the hazards faced by two tandem riders pedalling across South Wales this month as part of a truly epic cycle challenge.
Huw and Carolyn Thomas have spent the past year riding 10,000 miles on a tandem, towing a large green box on a trailer behind them.
The green box is a ShelterBox – more normally used for delivering emergency aid to families who have lost their homes in disasters all over the world.
Averaging 50 miles a day in the saddle, the two riders have already crossed North America, New Zealand and parts of Australia and Europe to promote ShelterBox, a charity based in Cornwall.
Now on the final leg of their mammoth journey, the couple are due to arrive in Fishguard on Wednesday 13th July.
From there, they continue via Haverfordwest, Saundersfoot, Llanelli, Gower and Cardiff – giving a number of talks to Rotary Clubs along the way.
They will be in Llanelli on Friday July 15.
Carolyn, 43, said: “We have had some dodgy moments along the way: forest fires in Canada, floods in Australia and we only just missed the New Zealand earthquake. The worst day though was when a truck didn’t stop at a junction and crashed into us. Our back wheel was completely buckled but luckily we got away with a few bumps and bruises.”
Huw, 45, added: “It’s been a truly wonderful year. We’ve crossed some magnificent landscapes and met some wonderful people on a journey we’ll never forget. Our original aim was to ride 10,000 miles but we’ve already gone past that target and it’ll probably be closer to 11,000 when we finish the ride on 31st July at ShelterBox’s HQ in Cornwall.”
Since starting their journey in Vancouver last August, the couple – who have their home in Cornwall - have given more than 150 presentations to schools, Scout groups and other organisations about the charity.
ShelterBox was set up in 2000 by a Rotary club from Cornwall and gets huge support from Rotary Clubs all over the world, including many in Wales.
Aid is delivered in ‘ShelterBoxes’ – large, green plastic boxes, containing emergency supplies for a family of 10, such as tents, blankets, cooking stoves, tools, water containers etc. Every ShelterBox also has its own unique number – meaning donors are able to know where ‘their’ box has been sent and why.
As of July 2011, ShelterBox has delivered more than 107,000 boxes to victims of disasters.
Carolyn said: “We’re riding through 11 countries where ShelterBox has affiliates. Our mission is to tell more people about ShelterBox, inspire them with stories of our journey and hopefully encourage them to do something for the charity so that it can keep providing help for families who have lost everything."
Huw, whose parents and grandparents both rode tandems, said: “We’ve had an incredible experience and in many ways we don’t want it to end but our legs might appreciate a rest come July.”
For more information about the Tandem 10,000 challenge, visit http://tandem10.wordpress.com
Huw & Carolyn Thomas:
Huw (45) and Carolyn (43) have their home in Cornwall, England. The couple both originally worked in journalism and PR before retraining as teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL).
Between 2006-7 Huw was in charge of publicity and fundraising for ShelterBox, based at the charity’s international HQ in the UK. During this time, Carolyn travelled to Pakistan as a member of a ShelterBox Response Team to report on the response to a major cyclone. The couple have also previously completed a 6,000-mile tandem ride around France, Spain and Portugal.
Route:
The couple’s 10,000-mile journey is divided into three stages: North America, New Zealand & Australia and Europe. All of the countries visited have ShelterBox affiliates.
The first leg (8th August-19th December 2010) was from Vancouver, British Columbia, to Tampa, Florida. The second leg (18th January-20th April) involved cycling from south to north in New Zealand and from Brisbane to Sydney in Australia. The European leg will link the UK, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Ireland – before ending at ShelterBox’s international HQ in Helston, Cornwall, at the end of July 2011.
ShelterBox:
ShelterBox was set up in 2000 by the Rotary Club of Helston in England and was designated a Global Rotary Club Project in 2009. Founder Tom Henderson was awarded an OBE in the New Year’s Honours list of 2010.
Since its inception, ShelterBox (www.shelterbox.org) has provided emergency aid following over 100 disasters in more than 70 countries, bringing the organisation to the forefront of international disaster relief. ShelterBox instantly responds to earthquake, volcano, flood, hurricane, cyclone, tsunami or conflict. In many cases, ShelterBoxes make the difference between life and death.
Each ShelterBox supplies an extended family of up to 10 people with a tent and lifesaving equipment to use while displaced or homeless. The contents are tailored depending on the nature and location of the disaster, with great care taken sourcing every item to ensure it is robust enough to be of lasting value. Highly trained ShelterBox Response Teams distribute boxes on the ground, working closely with local organisations, international aid agencies and Rotary clubs worldwide.