Lawyers biking for charity

(CNS): Swapping office chairs for bicycle saddles for a day, a group of attorneys and managers from Walkers will be peddling their way across Nevada next month for a grueling 100-mile bike ride to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and their battle to defeat leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and myeloma. The team will also be riding in the memory of former Walkers partner Frank Banks who sadly died earlier this year after a long battle with brain cancer. ‘America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride’, an endurance cycling event around Lake Tahoe in Nevada, takes place on 7 June.

According to a release from Walkers, their ‘Team in Training’ consists of Grant Stein – global managing partner, Mark Lewis – clients managing partner, Nancy Lewis – Walkers Global Holdings chief executive officer and associates Tim Buckley and Matt Taber. "We are excited to be participating in this event in Frank’s memory and are very much looking forward to the ride which takes place against such a spectacular backdrop in the Sierra Nevada mountains," said Grant Stein. "While Frank did not suffer specifically from blood cancer, we feel that he would have appreciated this effort, particularly as he was such an avid tri-athlete. Furthermore, we believe that the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in the US is a worthy cause to support because should anyone in Cayman be unfortunate enough to require such treatment, in most cases the care they receive will be in the US."

While enjoying the stunning scenery around Lake Tahoe and clean mountain air, the Walkers riders can expect to face a series of demanding peaks. The altitude ranges between 6,300 feet and 7,100 feet above sea level, with numerous rolling ascents and descents totaling over 2,600 vertical feet of elevation gain. "Negotiating this course will be a great contrast to the flat training runs we have completed in Cayman," Mr. Stein added. "It is great to be able to do something enjoyable and raise money for an important cause at the same time." Above: (L-R) Grant Stein, Nancy Lewis, Matt Taber, Tim Buckley (not pictured – Mark Lewis).

Team Walkers is requesting your support in raising money for this charity. Walkers and Walkers Global Holdings have donated $22,500 to get things started and the team’s goal is to raise the same amount again. Donations can be made either through the link on the Walkers website or by accessing the link directly through the Walkers ‘Team in Training’ webpage.

All of these conditions make the course an immense challenge even for the more experienced cyclists on the team. For Nancy Lewis, who admits that she has hardly ridden a bike in the past twenty years, simply signing up for this event deserves great recognition and the support of the community. "I have just found out that we will have to change our own tyres if we get a puncture so I will be trying to avoid getting a flat at all costs," she said.

Punctures are not the only potential pitfalls on the day for Team Walkers who will also have to face cold temperatures in their thirties when the ride starts at dawn, which is another great contrast from the tropical climate they are used to in Cayman. The team will also look to avoid crashing into any inexperienced and wobbly riders when they start off and are riding in large packs.

"We have been building up to this race with a vigorous training routine," said Mark Lewis. "We have been going for long rides at the weekend, of up to 80 miles and generally trying to spend lots of hours in the saddle. You can normally expect to complete a fast century ride in five to five-and-a-half hours, but as this will be more of a social event it will probably take between eight and nine hours. We have also found from our training regime that it will be important to keep eating and drinking in order to maintain energy levels. If you don’t eat and drink anything during the first hour then you will be in trouble for the rest of the ride."

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is the world’s largest voluntary health organisation dedicated to funding blood cancer research, education and patient services. Their mission is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. The charity has committed to $600 million in research spending to date, with $70 million being spent this year.