Hartlepool woman hits the road as tribute to dad

Cheryl Laycock is encouraging people to join her for a special event which gives people the chance for people to tackle a run, swim and bike ride at the Life Centre next month.

Everyone who comes along will be supporting Cheryl as she prepares for an even bigger challenge in July.

That’s when Cheryl will face a triathlon of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile run in the Nottingham Outlaw Triathlon.

First, though, comes the Hartlepool event.

Cheryl turned to exercise to ease the pain and upset of having to watch her dad John Laycock’s health deteriorate quickly.

He died aged 73. Now she plans to raise money to help find a cure for the disease.

Cheryl said: “Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer. Someone develops it every three minutes and there is currently no cure.”

She said: “My dad was diagnosed with Alzheimers very soon after retirement and within 10 years he was deteriorating fast.

“I want to raise as much money as possible to help find a way of beating Alzheimers.

“Watching the strongest man in your life fade so fast is very hard.”

Her triathlon will help support the Alzheimer’s Society.

Cheryl said: “Alzheimer’s Society offers support services to ensure no one has to face dementia alone. Not only do they provide support to those who have been recently diagnosed, but also they strive to educate people on how to manage their dementia to guarantee a better quality of life.”

This is Cheryl’s first triathlon but to get into practice for it, she has organised an event closer to home.

People can train alongside Cheryl on Sunday, May 5.

She will;

* Swim continuously for 1.5 hours.

* Then comes a 7.5-hour spinning bike challenge.

* And lastly, there wll be a four-hour run - or whatever it takes to complete a marathon.

Teams of up to six people can take part in the challenge.

Cheryl has a fundraising target of £2,000.

To find out more, vsit Cheryl’s Just Giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/chezmenez.