Kirkcaldy mountain bike champion raises £12,000 for breast cancer charities

Gillian Stewart, who has been crowned Scottish Master Mountain Bike Champion, British Masters Champion, and in 2016 the World 24 hour Mountain Bike Champion, was diagnosed last November after visiting her doctor with back and stomach pain.

Since her shock diagnosis, she has made it her mission to help raise awareness, as well as funds, to help combat secondary breast cancer, raising £10,000 for Breast Cancer Now and £2000 for Make 2nds Count since March this year.

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Earlier this year, she staged a 24 hour mountain bike event alongside 23 of her friends with each person cycling an hour on their own route before passing on the virtual batten to the next rider.

Gillian completed her latest challenge last weekend, which saw her and five friends complete a gruelling 12 hour cycling challenge.

Gillian said: “Myself and Jill Hamilton, Sarah Springthorpe, Carman Moffat, Lorraine Thomson, and Lisa Tinline, completed the 12 hour relay last weekend.

"Starting at eight in the morning, and finishing at eight at night, we each completed three laps of a six mile course – the weather was terrible, and I don’t think the girls realised how hard it was going to be, but they all performed brilliantly.

"I’m really proud of them all!”

As well as Gillian’s friends supporting her, neighbours in Dunnikier Estate also rallied around her in an awesome show of community spirit by setting up stalls to sell baked treats to spectators at the bike challenge, raising £660 to be put towards the fundraiser.

"Everyone from Dunnikier and Hollybrae came out to support us,” she said. “They even raised £660 for the fundraiser with a bake sale which was started by a lady with the same diagnosis as me.

"I have plans to raise more money with a dog meet-up with a raffle, some of my friends are going to do a Calendar Girls style calendar - and I’m planning on cycling 300 kilometres in a month as well.”

If you would like to donate to Gillian’s fundraiser, please visit: Gillian's fundraiser

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