By
Colin Grant
IT was a day of double delight for gallant Greig Anderson yesterday.
 The solo cyclist from Giffnock conquered his personal challenge when he finally reached John O’Groats around lunchtime, exactly 14 days after setting off from Land’s End.
And as he enjoyed an emotional reunion with his wife Alison and daughters Lucy and Emily he learned he’d reached — and surpassed — his £10,000 fund-raising target for our Children’s Hospitals Appeal.
During his magnificent trek Greig maintained his
www.fatblokeonabike.co.uk
website. Visitors to the site were encouraged to sponsor him and bid for an array of brilliant auction items.
The sponsors contributed £3800. The auction raised a further £2200. Then came news that a mystery sponsor had chipped in with £5 per mile. At 944 miles that meant another £4720 was added to the pot and the grand total became £10,720.
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 Greig enjoyes a bottle of champagne at his journey’s end.
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Yesterday, as he headed back home in the comfort of a car seat for the first time in a fortnight, an exhausted but elated Greig vowed to raise even more cash for our campaign.
Effort
“It’s true the physical work is over,” he said. “And for a 40-year-old who until now hadn’t pushed himself in this way I’m pleasantly surprised at how well my legs coped with the effort. Especially since it was an uphill climb all the way.
“It would be easy to rest on my laurels now but those who know me realise that won’t happen.
“I’m grateful to everyone who supported me, particularly the generous businessman who pledged a fiver a mile. He’s a family friend who likes to keep a low profile and I think it’s a magnificent gesture.
“But everyone who contributed has my gratitude. It’s a humbling experience to find out that so many people — family, friends and Sunday Post readers — were rooting for me.”
Greig hopes to increase the cash total with a party next weekend at which he will raffle some amazing prizes.
“Only once the money from that has been counted will I truly be able to relax,” he said.
Greig was inspired to get on his bike after the son of close friends became ill and needed treatment at Glasgow’s Yorkhill Hospital. Lee Owens (8) woke up one morning unable to speak properly. Doctors are unsure what’s wrong with him but they suspect it could be a muscle disorder and are carrying out tests.
During his cycle-athon Greig maintained an entertaining blog on his website. He was also besieged by messages of goodwill from supporters.
“They were inspirational and helped me conquer the doubts when the hills facing me looked like Everest or when the wind threatened to throw me backwards,” revealed Greig.
“But when the going got really tough there was one message that replayed over and over in my head. It was from Lee, who sponsored me for £40, and it read, ‘Brian gave me money for Bumblebee (a Transformer toy), but I want to help another wee boy or girl like me’.”
 IF YOU have a
special reason for contributing to or raising funds for our appeal
then we’d like to hear from you.
It could be that
you’d like to thank caring staff for the treatment they’ve
provided in your hour of need. Or perhaps a relative spent time in
one of Scotland’s children’s hospitals and the experience has
left a lasting impression on your family’s life.
Whatever the reason,
please let us know.
We’d be delighted
to share your experiences with our readers. And, who knows,
it may inspire others to follow in your fund-raising footsteps.
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