A MAN who is recovering from a brain injury is currently pedaling to Paris to raise funds for the charity that helped him.
Jamie Higgins was assaulted in Reading town centre in 2012, leaving him with permanent brain damage which causes memory loss, fatigue, dizziness, loss of taste and smell and recurring anxiety.
As a way of thanking Headway Thames Valley, a charity that works with people recovering from brain injuries, Mr Higgins and seven of his friends have set off on a three-day cycle ride to the French capital.
The eight-strong team set off from the Town Hall in Market Place at 6am on Saturday, July 18 and aim to be in Paris on Monday. Over the gruelling three-day tour, they will cycle 200 miles.
The group had hoped to raise at least £4,000 but donations have already hit almost £6,000.
Speaking at the Town Hall just before he set off, Mr Higgins said: “It will take three days and today’s route, from Wokingham to Newhaven, will be the toughest.”
The team then catch a ferry to Dieppe and head to Paris over two days.
Mr Higgins’ injuries means that he has found some leisure activities difficult – he had to watch while some of his friends ran the Reading Half Marathon for Headway last year.
“I had brain damage three-and-a-half years ago and still have lots of problems. [My recovery] is all thanks to Headway. I was told I’d never work again,” he said.
“I’ve tried jogging and other things, but cycling I’ve seem to have taken to.
“I’ve done lots of training for this ride and we’ve got spare inner tubes.”
Mr Higgins now works for Headway, helping others as they recover.
For more details on the race or to donate, visit his Virgin Money Giving page.
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