Bridgwater endurance rider completes Lands End bike trial
A 24 year old woman has completed a motorcycle endurance event, ten years after being seriously injured in a rollercoaster incident. Hannah Cant, from Bridgwater, was struck in the back of the head by a piece of metal when she queued for a rollercoaster ride in May 2015, leaving her unable to walk unaided.Now Ms Cant has completed her first ever 243-mile motorbike challenge in 17 hours. "It was "wet, muddy and foggy and very physically demanding," Ms Cant said.
After her accident, Ms Cant was diagnosed with 'Postural orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome' (PoTS), an abnormality of the automatic nervous system which has affected the regulation of blood vessels and her heart rate. She wanted to raise money for the PoTS charity, who have helped her to live with the condition and improve her quality of life. Ms Cant has now completed her first ever 'The Lands End Trial', a 24 hour endurance event for people on motorbikes, bikes with side cars and classic cars, that starts in Bridgwater, goes along the Exmoor Coast, and finishes at St Agnes in Cornwall. She set herself an original fundraising target of just over £1,000 but said she "smashed" that and raised more than £2,800 - almost three times the original amount. She added that finishing 'The Lands End Trial' was "amazing" but that riding through the night "wears down your concentration" and she was "shovelling down nuts" after completing each section to keep her protein levels up. Ms Cant rode her 1990s Yamaha TTR 250 off-road bike during the race and said standing up and sitting down was actually better as it meant she was constantly moving around. Her husband James completed the event with her on his own bike, and she said they are both so proud that she got to the end of the course and got her certificate within the required time.
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