A STUDENT from Wrexham is cycling 500km this month in aid of a charity battling meningitis .
Catrin Hughes, 20, is currently studying at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) and has taken up the challenge of doing the sponsored cycle - roughly the distance of Wrexham to Cornwall - by the end of 2020.
The money raised will go towards Meningitis Research Foundations (MRF), a charity that aims to research and raise awareness of meningitis and septicaemia.
Catrin, from Ruabon, said: “I feel this charity is important for me to support because meningitis targets mainly children and students my age.”
"MRF are on track to beat all cases of meningitis globally by 2030, so my goal is to raise as much money as possible to make sure this happens.”
Shockingly, meningitis and neonatal sepsis are the second biggest infectious killer of children under the age of five on the planet, affecting more than 5 million people every year.
They can kill you within 12 hours and are responsible for more deaths of children under five than malaria, measles, tetanus, and AIDS combined.
MRF work to provide better access to vaccines, health systems that can diagnose and treat children and provide support to survivors of meningitis.
Catrin said of the challenge ahead of her: "Over the last few years, Dad and I have been out on our bikes quite a lot, and we really love spending time out and about.
"A couple of years ago we cycled from Wrexham to south Wales, so I thought it would be fun to challenge myself to do something similar.
"Due to the pandemic, fundraising has become a lot tougher what with social distancing rules.
"However, this just means we have to be a bit more creative with fundraising. I thought, well we are allowed to go outside for exercise, so this challenge is perfect."
She added: "And with universities now teaching everything online, it means that I have plenty of time on my hands.
"After Christmas, a group of us from NTU are planning other fundraising events towards the charity such as a virtual half marathon, and next year the same group again will be hiking 81km along the famous Inca Trail in Peru ending in Machu Picchu; all in aid of the charity.
Catrin’s fundraising target for the ride is £1,000 in sponsorship.
If anybody would like to sponsor or donate, her just giving page is https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/catrin-hughes-machu-picchu
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