Rory's Castle Challenge

I am Rory Downie; I’m 16 years old and, in mid-August, I plan to beat the "Most castles visited in one week by bicycle” world record. It will involve cycling almost 100 miles per day, similar to the distances of the Tour de France, often in hilly terrain. It was initially set by Shane Williams, the Welsh and British Lions rugby player, who reached 50 castles during lockdown. It was beaten in February by Matt Page, a Welsh professional endurance cyclist who visited 67 castles. I am confident I can reach over 100 castles in the North East of Scotland. As well as discovering the history of the area and visiting the places from where my Scottish family originated, I hope to raise the profile of this beautiful part of Scotland and promote sports tourism. In July, I completed a 500+ mile cycle with school friends from St Malo to Bordeaux on the West coast of France, where cycling is popular. Scotland’s cooler summer temperatures are more conducive to cycling than the 42 degree heat we endured!

The challenge is part of my rehabilitation from knee surgery. I am a keen rugby player and cricketer. My last three years, however, have been blighted by repeated knee dislocations, each one necessitating three to four months off games, then intense rehabilitation and gym work. Combined with lockdown, I have either missed or had seriously curtailed three cricket and two rugby seasons since 2019. It has been immensely frustrating as someone who enjoys the camaraderie and competition of team sports. Following the fourth dislocation in February, we opted to operate in March. I have since taken up cycling. I have set the goal to break this world record to maintain focus.

I am also raising funds for Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance, a wholly privately funded operation that runs two helicopters from Perth and Aberdeen airports. (Read more about SCAA here: https://www.scaa.org.uk/). It reaches the injured and infirm in remote places far more quickly than a regular ambulance, thus saving lives. SCAA resonates with me because, after my third dislocation in January 2021, I had to wait for three hours on a rugby pitch before the ambulance arrived, just as hypothermia was setting in. The injury was in a highly accessible area of the South East of England. Had it happened on a remote moor in Northern Scotland, my situation would have been far worse. Every pound you donate goes directly to SCAA. It also boosts my morale and determination to break the record, complete my rehabilitation and get back on the rugby pitch in September. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and thank you also for donating.