Sisters are encouraging local people to get on their bike for charity

The original idea which saw sisters, Andrea Harrower (50) from Dromara and Cathy Booth (47), from Hillsborough set out on a two-day, almost non-stop clockwise tour around NI, was that of Andrea’s husband, Paddy.

The sports enthusiast and Wallace High School PE teacher died of the disease on July 24, 2022.

Five days before, he told his wife and sister-in-law, he wanted ‘something good to come out of his diagnosis of terminal pancreatic cancer.’

Over £100k was raised through sponsorship and #IBlamePaddy spin-off fundraising events designed to get people active, out of their comfort zone and fully engaged with living. The money is being invested by NIPANC into pancreatic cancer research.

Cathy Booth, whose appointment as a Trustee to the NIPANC Board was announced as part of the charity’s #TimeMatters November awareness raising campaign, is to take the planning of the event forward supported by her sister.

She also lost one of her closest schoolfriends of 30-years, Natalie Wilson to the disease in the summer of 2017.

It was six years to the date of her death on June 11, when the super-fit sisters crossed the finish line in less than 48 hours to emotional scenes at Wallace High School in Lisburn raising awareness of pancreatic cancer in 80 countries around the world and over £100k in funds for research.

The #PedalThePeriphery come back is in Paddy and Natalie’s honour. It is a legacy to them and a tribute to others who have lost their lives to this devastating illness. It’s also part of the sisters’ determination to do even more to take a stand against pancreatic cancer which sees 280 people diagnosed in NI each year.

The event, open only to teams this year, is being supported by Primal Challenge Limited, a locally based event management company.

This year there are 30 team places and they are filling up fast.

Entry fees will cost £650 per team. There will be a minimum sponsorship of £1000 per person, per team. Find out more about the latest #PedalThePeriphery Challenge on www.nipanc.org.

The event weekend June 7 to 9, is to remain the same and the rejuvenated purple 1970s support Beetle will also make an appearance.

The same age as its owner Andrea; the quirky VW accompanied the sisters around the route carrying Paddy’s much-loved bike mounted on its rooftop. It took the metaphorical journey around NI with them.

This year it has a new livery and has been dressed with the most common symptoms of pancreatic cancer by Mid Antrim Signs.

The Beetle will be front and centre of this year’s campaign helping to educate people on the symptoms of pancreatic cancer and urgency around early diagnosis and treatment.

Limited entries for teams of two, four, six, eight and ten people can be registered on NIPANC’s website www.nipanc.org. Although primarily a fund and awareness raising event, it is open to everyone, from those who seek their first endurance challenge to seasoned cyclists and endurance athletes. Like last year, it will be a challenge, not a race.

Cathy Booth said: “Throughout #PedalThePeriphery 2023 we were overwhelmed by the genuine, and loving, support of so many people from around NI, and beyond, many of whom had been touched by Pancreatic Cancer.

"Knowing this will now become a NIPANC annual team event, founded in the legacy of Paddy and Natalie, has made battling through all the grief, injury, sleeplessness, and brutal headwinds during last year’s #PedalThePeriphery even more worthwhile.

"We want to encourage others to now become part of this incredible event, and community, to continue to raise funds and awareness.”

Andrea Harrower said: “Paddy would love that what he thought, just before his death, was going to be a one-off #PedalThePeriphery is now becoming an annual event.

The comeback is two-dimensional, targeting debutants and accomplished athletes. This is reflective of Paddy himself, who applauded and encouraged both the newcomer and competitive athlete equally. Cycling became more important to Paddy in his final weeks of life. Now that it is to become an annual event in his and Natalie’s name, it is even more invaluable. It will raise awareness and funds ensuring other people will not have to endure the brutal symptoms and mortality rate of this silent killer.

“I and our two sons, Fraser (20), Alex (16), are incredibly proud of how Paddy tackled the biggest endurance event of his life – his death. And what a legacy #PedalThePeriphery is for our boys – who will no doubt form their own team in coming years and do Paddy proud. I see crossing the finish line in June 2023 as just the start line – a launch platform for even more fundraising and awareness because that is what will save lives.”

Ivan McMinn MBE, Chairperson of NIPANC and pancreatic cancer survivor said: “I can remember meeting Andrea and Cathy for a coffee at Lock Keepers Inn on the Lagan when they first told me about their crazy idea in January last year and what a journey it has been.

“I am so proud of them, for all they have achieved personally and for NIPANC. They really did capture the hearts and minds of the public and press in NI. #PedalThePeriphery shows just how good really can and does come out of deep personal tragedy.

"This announcement of the return of #PedalThePeriphery is very much in the spirit of hope which was a theme of our #TimeMatters 2023 campaign. We will be announcing how the £100k raised by Cathy and Andrea will be invested into research that will make a difference to pancreatic cancer outcomes in the future.”