Two Wheels Rather Than Four As Williams Liverpool Welcome Charity Bike Ride

Heidi’s Challenge, a coast-to-coast charity bike challenge, has chosen Williams BMW Liverpool to be the starting point for a three-day ride which will see 20 participants cycle from the city centre to Bridlington in support of the charity, NICU.

BMW is one of the key sponsors of the challenge and has donated vehicles to assist with carrying essential equipment for the riders from 7^th- 9^th May.

The riders, who will set off from Williams BMW Liverpool on Tuesday 7^th May at 9:00am, will include Olympic and World Champion gold medal cyclist, Sir Chris Hoy MBE, alongside his wife, Lady Sarra Kemp who became a trustee of the NICU charity after the premature birth of their son, Callum, at just 29 weeks.

NICU is a bespoke charity whose role is the collection and delivery of essential lifesaving donor breast milk from volunteer mothers for sick and premature babies. The charity recently set up a new service that transports mums into NICU to enable them to spend as much time as possible with their babies whilst in care.

Heidi Loughlin is familiar with the charity’s work having used the service after giving birth prematurely. Now a trustee of NICU, Heidi first cycled coast-to-coast in 2018 with the race being arranged in her honour after being diagnosed with stage 4 incurable cancer.

Heidi, who set up the blog Storm in a Tit Cup after her cancer diagnosis, is also promoting a book about her life experience with the mention of losing her daughter Ally at just eight days old.

Heidi’s partner, Keith Smith, was born and raised in Liverpool and has been a continued support encouraging her training ahead of the three-day bike ride.

Williams BMW employee, Lynsey McCormack, also knows about the reality of premature birth after her son was born at Liverpool Women’s Hospital at 30 weeks weighing just 2lb and spent months being cared for in the special care baby unit (SCBU).

Lynsey credits the work of the nurses, doctors and charities available to help those who are unfortunate to experience a premature birth. She’ll be lending her support by seeing off the group of 20 cyclists from Great Howard Street on Tuesday morning.