Riding home for Sepp

Riding home for Sepp – cycling challenge in memory of son finishes ahead of Father’s Day

A mammoth cycling challenge in memory of three-year-old Sepp Hall cames to an end this Saturday, 17 June, as his dad, Sam Hall, makes his way back to his hometown of Epsom, Surrey, ahead of Father’s Day.

Sepp Hall sadly lost his battle with ATRT cancer in October last year after fighting a rare brain tumour for three years.  By the end of the 20-day challenge, Sam and his team will have peddled a gruelling 2,400 miles in the charity ride which started in Helsinki, Finland and saw the team travel through eight European countries.

Cycling enthusiast, Sam Hall, devised the ambitious route himself, with his goal always being to honour Sepp through his love of cycling. Longer than the Tour De France, and completed in lass days, the ride has been a test of both mental and physical endurance.

The challenge has exceeded its £50,000 fundraising target and currently stands at more than £54,000.  Every penny raised will go to Momentum Children’s Charity, the organisation that supported the Hall family during Sepp’s treatment for cancer and after his passing.

Sam endured an injury and subsequent infection at the start of this week, which has meant he’s been unable to ride the final leg of the cycle. However, he has been joined by close friends and family who are cycling on his behalf. The team arrive at Epsom marketplace at midday on Saturday, where they will be greeted by the Mayor of Epsom, Councillor Rob Geleit.

Sam Hall said: “A large cyst in my backside has caused an infection, and to ride on would have caused further damage to my body. I always said that the fundraising target was an arbitrary figure, but it wasn’t. The ride was the arbitrary part. It was devised as a means to an end in the hope that we could raise £50,000 (let’s make it £60,000) in memory of Sepp.  The money will help other families in similar circumstances to ours, to be able to get the support they need, just as we did with Sepp.”

Sam continued: “I have the most fantastic memories of Sepp which will stay with me forever. Father’s Day will be incredibly tough this year, as it will every year, but my older son, Tate, is fantastic, and we are always there for each other whether that’s reliving times with Sepp or having a big old cry and a cuddle.”

Bianca Effemey, Founder and CEO of Momentum Children’s Charity said: “No words can express how incredibly grateful we are to Sam and the whole Cycle4Sepp team. What they have achieved is simply amazing in terms of fundraising, awareness, and dedication. It is impossible for the majority of us to understand the grief that a family endures when their child dies and what Sam has achieved for the legacy for Sepp is truly humbling. Let’s help Sam continue to smash his fundraising target by sponsoring him. We receive no Government funding and money raised will help us to continue being there for local families with children who are very unwell.”

Momentum Children’s Charity supports families across London, Surrey and Sussex whose children are facing cancer or a life-challenging condition. The charity partners with local hospitals to offer personally tailored support to the entire family through our family support workers, both in hospital and at home.

There is still time to sponsor Sam Hall and help him raise even more money for Momentum Children’s Charity: www.Cycle4Sepp.com

To find out more about the work of Momentum Children’s Charity, please visit www.momentumcharity.org

 

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