When last month’s Bradley Stoke Voice went to press, local mum Christine Lote was preparing to take on a gruelling endurance cycle ride in Scotland to show what people with a terminal diagnosis are capable of.
In 2024, Christine from Stoke Gifford was diagnosed with an incurable form of cancer and has had one leg amputated. She also underwent lung surgery just a few weeks before the cycle ride in September. The effects of her surgery prompted Christine to switch from the original 56-mile route to a 38-mile circuit.
The Tour de 4 was organised by Olympian Sir Chris Hoy, who is also living with stage four cancer, and the event raised more than £2m for cancer charities.
Ahead of the ride, Christine appeared on BBC 1’s Breakfast TV show, before setting off at 10am. Riding alongside husband Damien, she was determined to keep going despite the rain and winds, only stepping off the bike once to push it up a particularly muddy and slippery hill.
After heading out of Glasgow, the route wound into the Scottish countryside and was lined with spectators. “There was more crowd support than I anticipated on a soggy Sunday,” says Christine. “But lots of people were ringing bells so that was really nice, waving to them as we were going along.”
Towards the end, Christine fought off tiredness to focus on crossing the finish line. “There’s always a point in these things when you have to dig a bit deeper because my legs were tired, I was getting cold. That’s the time when you think, ‘Let’s consider all those people that would love to be here but can’t. Let’s remember all those people that have supported you.’”
Christine reflects: “The magical part for me was to talk to people. Everyone was very keen to chat and share their story. It was such a positive day. It was amazing to think that over 3,000 people managed to get round and collectively raise over £2 million for cancer charities. It was such an uplifting day.”
Christine’s fundraising page is still open: gofundme.com/f/my-tour-de-4-fundraiser-to-fight-cancer-zwnm5