By Inspirational local man embarking on 350-mile bike ride in memory of late girlfriend
Local man Lee Edwards is embarking on an incredible 350-mile bike ride from Humberston to Scotland to raise money for Crohn’s & Colitis UK in memory of his late girlfriend.
Kerry McWhirter was just 34 when she tragically passed away after a long battle with Crohn’s disease, a chronic type of inflammatory bowel disease.
Sadly, she was admitted to hospital in April as a result of her symptoms and died a month later, on 6 May.
The bike ride – 350 Miles for Kerry – will see inspirational Lee, his 16-year-old son Kane, and nine other local supporters cycling from Humberston to Kerry’s family home in Hamilton, a large Scottish town a few miles south of Glasgow.
Kerry and Lee met a year ago in a Glasgow pub and began a long-distance relationship – the couple were so dedicated to each other that they would travel 350 miles most weekends to see one another.
Lee decided on the route for the bike ride because it was the same one that he would take when he travelled from Humberston to Hamilton to see his girlfriend at weekends.
Lee, 45, said: “When she passed away, I was determined that I wanted to do something in her memory. I actually thought about walking the distance on my own but then I thought, no, I’ll get other people on board with it.
“I’m overwhelmed at the response. Up until a year ago I didn’t know anything about Crohn’s. It’s only a short duration that me and Kerry were together, and I’ve had a crash course on it.
“She was a tough cookie and tried to hide it, so I wanted to raise awareness. I didn’t know a thing about it, so I want to make a difference and make people aware of what it’s like to live with Crohn’s.”
So far, the JustGiving page which Lee set up to sponsor the bike ride has seen an incredible £4,000 raised by 150 supporters.
The page reads: “My girlfriend Kerry McWhirter whom I loved deeply was just 34 years old when she lost her battle with the disease. She was a loving mum, loved by everyone around her and also excelled in her chosen sport of karate in which she was five times Scottish champion. She was so full of life and had so much still to give.
“Most weekends we drove 350 miles between my home on the east coast of England and her home in Hamilton, Scotland to see each other and I intend to ride this distance on a bike with a group of friends to raise money for the charity.
“If you can support my quest with a donation, however small (Don’t forget to Gift Aid it!) I would be very grateful. The money goes direct to the charity via this page, so you can be sure they make good use of every penny.
“Please share far and wide so we can raise as much as possible. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
The group aim to leave Humberston on the morning of Monday 20 September, riding 60 to 70 miles per day until Friday 24 September.
On the Saturday, they will cycle a further 40 miles until they arrive at Kerry’s family home at lunchtime.
You can donate to the bike ride’s JustGiving page here and follow the inspirational group’s journey on the 350 Miles for Kerry Facebook page.
