TWO Weymouth men with disabilities are bidding to beat the odds as they ride to Normandy.
Wayne Clark and Eyan Naylor will ride alongside eight others from Weymouth Veterans Hub, starting from the seafront on Sunday, June 19.
They will travel to France via Poole where they will catch a ferry, and plan to arrive at the British Normandy Memorial, in Ver-sur-Mer on Friday, June 24.
Mr Clark, 42, was hit on the back of his head by someone after an argument in December 2020. After being in a coma and then having multiple operations he was left with no feeling in his left arm and struggling to speak.
Also, putting pedal to the metal is Eyan Naylor, 44, who had his club foot removed in the summer of 2020.
Mr Clark, who was a helicopter technician in the Royal Navy, said: "I want to do it to hopefully help and inspire others who have gone through something life-changing and traumatic."
Mr Clark will be raising cash for Headway - the brain association charity.
He added: "I've had a lot of dark times since the incident, but now I'm really excited about helping others."
Speaking on behalf of Mr Naylor, his wife Julie said: "Eyan was unable to serve in the armed forces due to his medical history with his foot, but both of us came from military families.
"He heard about the hub and we started to volunteer at its café. He wanted to offer his support in any way possible as he feels strongly towards raising mental health issues."
Mr Naylor will be raising money for the Defence Medical Welfare Service (DMWS), which represents the needs of the whole serving and veterans community.
Veterans Hub founder Andy Price, who will also take part in the ride, said: "The project is about solidarity and how people can prove to themselves they can do anything - and beat the odds - if they put their minds to it."
The group hope to raise £5,000, which will be split between DMWS, Headway, and the Veterans Hub.
Wayne's dad Andy Clark said: "The travel cost to cross the English Channel will cost almost £1,300 - so it would be greatly appreciated if we could find a donation to cover that cost."
To support the team visit: www.gofundme.com and search 'Op PANTHA - Cycling from Weymouth to Normandy'.
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