University of Bristol fundraising students to cycle 100km Ukraine-shaped route
University of Bristol students are among nine friends – including a Ukrainian expat – cycling a 100km route that traces the shape of Ukraine.
Mechanical Engineering student Jake Nickerson helped organise the event for this Sunday to mark the anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
In March last year the same schoolfriends raised £22,000 for Ukraine with a half marathon from Trowbridge to Bath. Now they hope to raise another £5,000.
Joining Jake on Sunday is his his Anglo-Ukrainian friend Maks Oberemok. Many of Maks’ family are from the Ukrainian city Sumy, which is just a few miles from the Russian border.
After a terrifying few months his grandma and some others were able to flee the area and find sponsorship in the UK. They are now living close to Maks’ family home in Trowbridge.
Maks said: “I’ve still got family there who can’t leave. They are being terrorised by artillery rounds and rockets that are randomly being fired over their village. I recently spoke to one of my friends and his mental health is really suffering from the constant shelling.
“I’m so relieved to have some of my family here though, many of them I hadn’t seen for three and a half years. We’ve been having lots of big dinners – my grandma won’t stop cooking for us all!
“We appreciate any support people can give. This war is still going on and all Ukrainians are struggling. Every donation means so much to us.”
This Sunday the friends will set off from Trowbridge, before heading in a loop that passes Frome, Warminster and Westbury.
They expect the grueling ride to take eight hours – a tall order when most of the group aren’t serious cyclists.
Maks said: “It was tricky making a route that matched the shape of Ukraine. To make it work we’ll have to do some really big hills. It’s going to be a struggle!”
The friends can expect a Ukrainian feast when they finish Sunday’s challenge, courtesy of Maks’ family. It may include his grandmother’s special meal, plov, an Uzbekistani dish of pork and rice.
Jake said: “Most of us aren’t cyclists so it could be a tough day on Sunday. But it’s worth it to help the many Ukrainians who are suffering right now.
“We’ll be stopping every 25km so people can come and support us if they want.”
The other University of Bristol students are Dan Mason-Rheinschmiedt (Engineering) and Alex Gulliford (Management with Innovation).