Hero firefighter cycles up Bolsover’s Castle Lane 200 times for charity

Paul Boardman cycled up the town’s very steep Castle Lane a total of 197 times over the weekend.

MORE: Chesterfield man yells racist abuse after whiskey binge, court hears

He started the gruelling task just before 5.55pm on Saturday and rode for a total of 24 hours and seven minutes.

The 40-year-old, who lives in Clowne and works as a firefighter in the town, has raised at least £1,200 for Cruse Bereavement Care and at least £1,400 for Mind – with donations still coming in.

Talking to the Derbyshire Times on Monday, Paul said: “As you can imagine, I feel a bit achy right now!

“It was a difficult challenge – I’ve never felt pain like it – but I’m delighted to have raised so much money for two very important charities.

“It was very hard riding through the night and I had a bit of a wobble around lap 90 – but the support I had from people in the community was absolutely phenomenal.

“I’d like to thank everyone who turned out to cheer and clap me on – they kept me going.

“Thanks also to everyone who has sponsored me.”

Paul told how he wanted to raise money for Cruse Bereavement Care as the charity had supported him following the death of his mother, Denise, to breast cancer 10 years ago.

“Cruse is an amazing charity and the support they offered me was second-to-none,” he added.

Paul also wanted to support Mind as he is passionate about raising awareness about mental health.

“If just one person who’s struggling sees what I’ve done and gets support, I’ll be happy,” he said.

Paul started the challenge on what would have been his mother’s birthday.

His sister Leanne said: “Mum will have been with him every pedal of the way and so proud of him.”

People have taken to social media to congratulate Paul.

On our Facebook page, Carole Sadler said: “Wow, well done.”

Gracie Church said: “What an amazing achievement.”

Tim Chambers added: “It’s bad enough walking up Castle Hill once. At least there’s usually a pint waiting at the top.”

MORE: Derbyshire council stops bin collections due to Covid-19 staff shortage

Support your Derbyshire Times by becoming a digital subscriber. You will see 70 per cent fewer ads on stories, meaning faster load times and an overall enhanced user experience. Visit www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk/subscriptions.