A 76-year-old woman is among more than 70 cyclists riding hundreds of miles from Yorkshire to Borough in memory of Jo Cox, the MP murdered in 2016.
Kath Lyons said she was taking part the 288-mile charity cycle ride from Ms Cox’s former constituency Batley and Spen in Yorkshire down to Flat Iron Square, to support Ms Cox’s legacy of civility and kindness to others.
The cyclists, of whom Ms Lyons is the oldest and an eighteen-year-old is the youngest, will set off on July 27 from Yorkshire, passing through Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Buckinghamshire, before going through west London and Waterloo and ending up in Borough on July 31.
The cycle ride, called the Jo Cox Way, has been running every year since 2016, when Ms Cox was killed by a far-right extremist. Money raised goes to the Jo Cox foundation, which supports community initiatives across the UK.
Ms Lyons said she did not know Ms Cox, but that as a local she was affected by her death. She added that Ms Cox’s positive attitude to life had been taken up by everyone taking part in the cycle.
“Quite honestly, her legacy came through in training for the cycle ride. It was a really eclectic group, but we all had one thing in common – everybody was just so supportive of everyone else.
“[Ms Cox] reminded us that it’s good not to get single-minded in the way you think of any individual people, and not to categorise them.”
This is the longest cycle Ms Lyons will have taken on, although she rode 170 miles earlier in June and has cycled 150 miles before that.
And she said she would not be staying on in London after she finishes the mammoth cycle, as she is rushing up to Birmingham for the Commonwealth Games. “Watching, not participating!,” she joked.
Ms Cox’s sister Kim Leadbeater, who was elected to represent Batley and Spen last year, said: “‘The Jo Cox Way ride is a great chance for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to connect and engage with one another. The last two years have been tough for us all, with so many people affected by COVID, lockdowns and the increasing cost of living.
“Despite all this, it’s brilliant to see people’s commitment to making a difference has grown stronger, with cyclists joining together for a seventh time to celebrate the fact that we have ‘far more in common than that which divides us’- words from Jo’s maiden speech in Parliament.”
Anyone wishing to sponsor the riders can donate here.