Final push for Northampton man as he approaches the end of gruelling cycling fundraiser

It is the final push for a Northampton man as he approaches the end of a gruelling cycling fundraiser in aid of a charity close to his family’s heart, the Stroke Association.

Business owner Gurjeet Sapal, who runs the Olive and Baker deli in Weston Favell with his mother, began a new challenge at the start of the year.

His father suffered a series of strokes over the course of a week in 2021, which inspired Gurjeet to ride the number of miles from Northampton to where his father is from in India.

The fundraiser began on January 1 and Gurjeet hoped to complete it by April 18 – meaning he set out to average around 54 miles a day to reach the final total of 5,747.

The last time Gurjeet spoke to the Chronicle & Echo to provide an update on his progress, he had managed to stay above the target of 400 miles a week.

The determined fundraiser has tracked his journey to India on a virtual map and has kept a close eye on the challenging elevation he has taken on.

Impressively, Gurjeet has managed to get ahead of his target and hopes to finish five days earlier than expected on Saturday (April 13). If he meets this new target, it will have taken 103 days to complete the challenge.

The final ride, in which he will be accompanied by his friends, will take Gurjeet to the magical total and he is hosting a celebration for his loved ones afterwards.

More than £3,200 has already been raised for the Stroke Association and Gurjeet hopes the generosity of the Northampton community will keep the final total growing.

He wanted to thank coach Tom Kirk, nutritionist Katie Macleod, physio Tom Webb and Three Shires Hospital in helping him remain injury free.

Gurjeet also wanted to make special mentions to his wife Simran and mother Charlie for their ongoing support.

The generous individuals who have donated have kept Gurjeet pushing through the difficult moments, and it is important to him to reach his goal to ensure he does not let them down.

The miles have been completed by cycling around the town and on his indoor bike, with each ride being monitored on Strava.

When asked why it is so important for him to raise awareness and funds for the Stroke Association, Gurjeet previously told the this newspaper: “Our story is quite a poignant one. My dad’s strokes were very, very preventable.”

Each time Gurjeet’s father went to the doctors he was prescribed antibiotics, but the cause was actually an infection in his heart.

“I really want to raise awareness that if someone has the symptoms and a medical history of a dodgy heart, it could take one scan to prevent a stroke,” Gurjeet added. “That’s the main goal.”

Though Gurjeet’s father was the inspiration for the fundraiser, he says he wants to focus on the people whose lives have been seriously impacted by strokes.

To support Gurjeet’s fundraiser and make a donation in aid of the Stroke Association, visit the fundraising page here.