Pedalling for a purpose: Glen's epic ride to Brussels for BeyondAutism

Recently, Glen and two friends undertook an extraordinary challenge, combining their love for cycling with a mission to make a real impact. Their dedication to raising funds for BeyondAutism, was no ordinary journey, it was a testament to their commitment to supporting autistic people and creating lasting change.

We had a chat with Glen to dive deeper into the story behind their incredible effort and hear first hand how they turned the bike ride into something truly extraordinary, and he had this to say:

First of all, congratulations on completing such an epic ride! How did it feel to finally arrived in Brussels after 26 hours of cycling!?

Honestly, I couldn’t describe how we felt. The roller coaster of emotions we experienced were indescribable. We were out on our last legs at around the 170-mile mark. When we arrived, it was just a sense of relief, gratitude, delirium, extreme fatigue but a sense of incredible adventure that the 3 of us won’t ever forget. We were delighted also with the timing, as it was 17 hours of moving time which we thought was very good going.

What motivated you and your friends to take on this cycling challenge, and why did you choose to support BeyondAutism?

I’ve done long distance cycling before and wanted to do another challenge that pushed myself to the limits. I think this one pushed me over the current limit however after getting to know Jess who is an Occupational Therapist at BeyondAutism I was fascinated by the work she did and learnt more about the constant need for funds for the charity. So I thought I would support the charity as an extra motivation to complete the challenge.

During such a gruelling ride, what were the toughest moments, and how did you push through them? Was there ever a point where you considered stopping?

There were many points I considered stopping. There were points that my friends considered stopping it on my behalf. We all had major lows and highs throughout. It was pure pandemonium of feelings & emotions. The only way I could describe it is imaging being on a roller coaster that scares you but gets you excited at the same time. Tough moments I can put my finger on is, one of the guys falling asleep on the bike and crashing. Getting separated from the rest of the group due to navigation issues, torrential rain, running out of food, running out of batteries on our lights and extreme headwind which made the going very tough. All of us had lows but never at the same time. This allowed those who were at their highs to pull the ones through who were experiencing the lows. We kept saying to ourselves “we will get there even if it took us forever”.

Raising £2392 for BeyondAutism is an incredible achievement! How did the fundraising campaign unfold, and what was the response like from supporters?

Having spoken to Jess about the challenges faced with autism I decided to make a video to explain those issues briefly and the challenge in it. We received lots of support, and the video ended up with over 10K views. I was aiming to raise more but I think raising the awareness of BeyondAutism works just as well. Many people sent messages of support along with donations. Some even spoke of their own experiences with friends or children who are autistic which made us feel that we had to complete the challenge. Click to watch video.

Can you share any special moments from the charity ride that stand out, either in terms of the physical challenge or emotional experience?

I think the overall experience was special. Sharing it with 2 incredible guys who were equally as dedicated to completing the challenge is a special moment. Also, the copious amounts of food that we got to eat throughout without paying the penalty of gaining weight. The challenge was a challenge, as it should be, and I wouldn’t change any of it. I’d say that for at least 2/3 weeks after I didn’t want to see or hear anything about a bike but I’m now ready to start planning for another challenge next year. London – Barcelona.

Take on your own challenge and support BeyondAutism—whether it’s cycling, running, or any other adventure close to your heart. Visit BeyondAutism’s Challenge Events page to learn how you can get involved. Every step, pedal, or mile helps create lasting change for autistic people. Together, we can go the distance!

Pedalling for a purpose: Glen’s epic ride to Brussels for BeyondAutism

First of all, congratulations on completing such an epic ride! How did it feel to finally arrived in Brussels after 26 hours of cycling!?

What motivated you and your friends to take on this cycling challenge, and why did you choose to support BeyondAutism?

During such a gruelling ride, what were the toughest moments, and how did you push through them? Was there ever a point where you considered stopping?

Raising £2392 for BeyondAutism is an incredible achievement! How did the fundraising campaign unfold, and what was the response like from supporters?

Can you share any special moments from the charity ride that stand out, either in terms of the physical challenge or emotional experience?