Crash Survivor Alex Cycles 365km for Charity

A cyclist who survived a serious road incident last year has ridden an epic 365km for charity – one kilometre for each day since he sustained life-changing injuries.  

On 17th April, Alex Witt, from Richmond, rode his Handsling A1R0evo on a route covering Oxford, SW London and the outskirts of Reading and Swindon.

The 22-year-old pedalled more than double his longest ever ride in about 12 hours at an impressive average speed of just over 30kph. The money he raises will be donated to the British Heart Foundation, a charity that is personally important to Alex and his family. 

“It felt so good to finish and I couldn’t have done it without all the support I had along the way,” he said. “With a couple of changes of guard we ended up having about six people or more the whole time. I also had a friend do the whole thing with me – Harvey Weinberger – who happens to be former junior national hill climb champ and did junior tour of Wales. So it was quite nice having his wheel and his chat the whole time!”

In April, 2020, Alex was hit by a bus near Kew Village while on a training ride and sustained permanent injuries. To this day he has restricted use of his left arm. Each 1km represented a day since surviving the incident – 365km for 365 days. 

He said: “I face challenges on a daily basis as a result of these injuries. This ride proves that I’m stronger than I’ve ever been, both mentally and physically, even if my left arm works like a T-Rex’s.

“Ever since the accident, I’ve struggled to shake the sense that I drew resources from those who needed it most. I’m trying to set the record straight and fund research into a disease that has touched me and my family several times.”

Alex thanked Handsling Bikes for making an A1R0evo road bike available soon after he recovered from his accident, allowing him to get in vital training over the winter months. Handsling owner Simon Whiten has also provided maintenance advice and spare parts when required. 

For more information and to make a donation, please visit Alex’s Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/alex-witt.