A Dunfermline man with a life-threatening disease has said his participation in the 81-mile Etape Caledonia was a “training run” for a much bigger event.
Cameron Warner, who is originally from Perth, has cystic fibrosis. He is determined to show that the disease, which causes chronic lung infections and difficulty digesting food, doesn’t hold him back from participating in extreme events.
Cycling the glorious Etape route with thousands of others at the weekend is the latest in what he has dubbed a “Year Of Nonsense” that will culminate next month with a mammoth cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
The end-to-end will be the biggest physical challenge, although Cameron is also looking forward to another big event next month he and wife Margaret are expecting their first child.
Cameron and his pals Graeme Crane and Colin Beveridge crossed the Etape finishing line three abreast in four hours 11 minutes and 28 seconds.
“The rain held off until we finished,” said Cameron. “We all finished arms aloft in proper Tour fashion. It was a good day, but we are looking on it as a training run for the big miles we have got to do next month.”
The aim is to raise £10,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and Cameron and his chums are well on the way to achieving that goal.
“We have just crossed the £5000 mark on our justgiving page,” he said yesterday. “In addition, we held a race night over the Easter weekend and raised just under £3000. We are not too far off and reckon we will make £10,000 with a final push over the last couple of weeks.”
Cameron is hoping Margaret will hold off on her final push just long enough so their first child arrives after he has cycled the length of the UK.
“The baby is still hanging in and I hope he or she will stay put until the 16th of June and give me a couple of days to rest after the Lands End to John O’Groats,” said Cameron.
The baby is due on June 15, just four days before Cameron and his mates are due to complete the UK end-to-end cycle challenge. An early arrival would call a temporary halt to it.
Ahead of big cycle tour they plan to fit in another major physical challenge when they head to Cape Wrath for the UK’s most northerly marathon on Saturday.
“The weekend after we travel down to Land’s End and then set off on the bikes on June 1,” said Cameron.
“I have cystic fibrosis and I wanted to prove that it does not hold me back or stop me achieving my dreams, in the hope that I can inspire other people living with the condition.
“I am very fortunate as I have kept fairly well, work full-time and am expecting my first child in June, and am well aware that many people with CF are not as lucky as me.
“This was one of the reasons I wanted to raise funds for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.”