A local man is taking part in a challenging bike ride to raise money for The Christie cancer centre. 

Terry O'Connor will be taking in the Tour de 4 - a ride organised by Chris Hoy to bring people together who have been affected by cancer. 

Terry himself was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2023, and despite being given months to live, he received a life-saving stem cell transplant which left him able to return to his hobby of mountain biking. 

The transplant was done with the help of the Anthony Nolan Trust, with a donor from Germany. Terry describes it as a literal 'lifesaver'. 

He'll be taking part in the ride to say thanks to The Christie for giving him "a second chance at life".

Already, he's raised more than £2,000 for the charity. 

(Image - Terry O'Connor)

The Tour de 4 is a 56-mile ride in Glasgow, and is open to all riders. It'll be taking place on 7 September.

It was started following Chris Hoy's stage 4 cancer diagnosis, with the aim of demonstrating that cancer "doesn't define the limits of what's possible".

Terry said he was inspired to take on the ride after reading Chris Hoy's book and hearing about the Olympian's own cancer diagnosis. 

"I saw there were some parallels between what me and him were going through", Terry said. 

As for choosing the Christie as his charity, Terry said it was "a very easy decision to make". 

(Image - Terry O'Connor)

"It's a pretty extraordinary place, run by extraordinary people", he said. 

"Everyone goes the extra mile. 

"If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here."

And how has the process been going so far?

"It's been pretty overwhelming to have raised this much", Terry said. "But I'm hoping between now and September we can at least double that."

And as for the training, Terry said it's been going well. Although a mountain biker by nature, he's getting used to the process of riding on roads, and is getting set for what promises to be a dramatic and inspiring ride through the Scottish countryside.

You can donate to Terry's fundraiser here.

~

Free from clickbait, Stockport Nub News is a quality online newspaper for our town.

To get our top stories in your inbox each week, subscribe to our free weekly newsletter HERE.

Please consider following Stockport Nub News on Facebook or X