Press Release: Dion Dublin and Deborah Flood help duo pursue pedal-powered ambition

Two men have begun their bid to use pedal power to spread the Olympic message and raise money for a host of charities.
Daring duo Darren Jones and Andy Millar, both Round Table members from Coventry, have decided to ride a pedalo from Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, to the site of the 2012 Olympic Park in Stratford, London.
The two-seater craft has a top speed of just three mph and the 212-mile journey is expected to take the pair about two weeks to complete.
Double Olympic medal-winning rower, Debbie Flood, was at the launch, at Bancroft Gardens, Stratford-upon-Avon, to give the pair a boost as they set off from her hometown as was former England and Coventry City footballer Dion Dublin.
Lawrie Mills, a young Stratford swimmer with Olympic ambitions, was also at the launch event as a SportsAid recipient - one of the beneficiary charities.
Darren, who is also the president of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce, said: “Since we announced our plans for this journey we have been training hard but it will certainly be worth the effort in the end
“We were inspired to undertake the journey while watching the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and we thought it would be a great opportunity to promote the 2012 Olympics while also raising money for a wide range of worthy causes.”
The pedalo team, who have been training for the journey since November 2008, is hoping to be joined by a host of celebrities and important local figures as they travel along the canals and rivers.
The journey aims to raise money through sponsorship, half of which will be donated to sports charity SportsAid with the remainder being split between local charities via the Coventry Round Table.
Tom Clift, partnership manager for the Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership for the 2012 Games, said: “Darren and Andy’s dedication and commitment to this project is a perfect example of how 2012 can inspire people to get involved and bring benefits to the region in the process.
“We hope the Games will act as an inspiration to even more people as we move ever closer to 2012.”
Tim Lawler, chief executive for SportsAid, said: “We’re delighted to be involved in this superb challenge.
“By working to raise money for SportsAid they’ll be directly helping the next generation of talented young athletes from the region who will go on to compete at Olympic and Paralympic Games in years to come.”
There are a number of opportunities for corporate and individual sponsors surrounding the project. They include the naming rights for the pedalo and the name of the journey itself.
For further information or to donate visit www.stratfordtostratford.co.uk and lick on the Sponsor Us link.
ENDS
To arrange to meet the pedalo team or for interviews and photo opportunities please contact Darren Jones on 07957 811972.

Media enquiries:
Simon Gilbert
Advent Communications
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Coventry CV1 4JA
Tel: 024 7663 3636
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