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Graham McGregor-Smith, 54, wears his Action jersey as he cycles towards New York from San Francisco
Action Medical Research is delighted to confirm that Graham McGregor-Smith has completed his 3,200 mile cycling challenge across North America!
The 54-year-old from Ascot set off from San Francisco Bay Area on 29 July and successfully made it to Battery Park in Manhattan on 27 August.
Accompanied by a support team of two, Graham cycled across 11 States, with Utah being his favourite because of the “incredibly powerful vistas and landscapes”.
Despite finishing a whole day ahead of schedule, he admits there were some ‘interesting’ moments along the way involving some of the country’s unique wildlife: “In hindsight, the scariest moment was negotiating my way past a bull that was standing in the middle of the road as I was coming down Indian Canyon in Utah!
“I must also confess to a degree of anxiety in the Rocky Mountain National Park... It was absolutely bursting with wildlife, and while making the climb up to 12,200 feet, my mind couldn’t help dwelling on the possibility of a bear attack! Luckily there wasn’t one!”
Action Medical Research is a UK-wide children’s charity which funds desperately needed research to tackle the diseases that devastate the lives of so many of our children. It has been funding medical breakthroughs since it began in 1952 including helping to introduce the first polio vaccines in the UK, developing the use of ultrasound in pregnancy and testing the rubella vaccine.
The charity is currently funding research into conditions including asthma, prematurity, epilepsy, meningitis, cerebral palsy, brain cancer and some rare and distressing conditions.
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NOTES TO EDITORS:
This relates to our previous press release dated 24 July:
https://www.action.org.uk/press-release/berkshire-bicyclist-prepares-cycle-states
To download a high-res image of Graham cycling:
https://www.action.org.uk/sites/default/files/downloads/press/gms_action_1.jpg
To download a photo of the bull:
https://www.action.org.uk/sites/default/files/downloads/press/gms_bull.jpg
To download a photo of shadows caused by the solar eclipse:
https://www.action.org.uk/sites/default/files/downloads/press/gms_eclipse.jpg
To download a photo of Graham by the Golden Gate Bridge:
https://www.action.org.uk/sites/default/files/downloads/press/gms_golden_gate.jpg
To download a photo of Graham by the George Washington Bridge:
https://www.action.org.uk/sites/default/files/downloads/press/gms_gwb.jpg
For more information on Action Medical Research, contact Peter Denton, Fundraising Communications Officer, on:
T: 01403 327480
E:pdenton@action.org.uk
W: action.org.uk
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Action Medical Research is a leading UK-wide charity saving and changing children’s lives through medical research. For 65 years we’ve helped pioneer ways to prevent disease and develop treatments benefiting millions of people. Our research has helped to beat polio in the UK, develop ultrasound in pregnancy, fight meningitis and prevent stillbirths. But we urgently need to develop more new treatments and cures for sick babies and children and we can’t do it without you.
Join our fight for little lives today.
Charity reg. nos 208701 and SC039284.