Northampton man to cycle more than 5,700 miles in charity fundraiser for Stroke Association

A Northampton man plans to cycle more than 5,700 miles in a charity fundraiser, to raise money and awareness for the Stroke Association.

Gurjeet Sapal, who recently opened the Olive and Baker deli in Weston Favell with his mother, is taking on a different challenge in the new year.

Gurjeet’s father suffered a stroke two years ago, which inspired Gurjeet to ride the number of miles from Northampton to where his father is from in India.

The fundraiser will begin on January 1 and Gurjeet hopes to have completed it by April 18 – meaning he will have to ride an average of around 54 miles a day to reach the final total of 5,747 miles.

Gurjeet will either complete the miles by cycling around Northampton or 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 said: “Our story is quite a poignant one. My dad’s stroke was very, very preventable.

“It was during Covid and the tough time for the NHS. He lost about three or four stone unintentionally in around four months.”

Each time Gurjeet’s father went to the doctors he was prescribed antibiotics, but the cause of his stroke 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.”

Gurjeet is working with the charity in the hope of putting posters in GP practices and hospitals to raise awareness.

He said: “It’s cliche but if it just saves one or two people, every mile is worth it.”

The total fundraising target is £5,747 which, if reached, would be the equivalent of one pound for every mile Gurjeet plans to ride in the first four months of 2024.

“It’s been a busy time with the deli and our other business, but now it’s time to smash it,” he added.

Gurjeet is hoping to collaborate with a number of local businesses to reach his fundraising target, as well as complete some of the mileage in Weston Favell Shopping Centre.

The link to Gurjeet’s online fundraising page will soon be shared on the Chronicle & Echo website if you would like to make a donation.