14 June 2022
A Devon optometrist will raise money for a charitable foundation by taking part in an international cycling competition this autumn.
Optometrist Daren Rogers plans to take part in the World Cycling Championships in Trento, Northern Italy (15 - 18 September 2022), while fundraising for the Sunshine Glioblastoma Foundation.
Rogers currently works at Hakim Group practice, Bennett and Rogers, and has been a practising optometrist for 30 years.
Aged 56, Rogers will be participating in the veterans category. He has been an avid cyclist for most of his life, but it was during the pandemic that his passion for cycling was reignited.
Commenting on the sport, Rogers said: “I really embraced cycling during COVID-19. That was my ‘wellness’ – getting out into the open air and enjoying some of the stunning scenery we have here in the Blackdown Hills.”
The race will include a 145km road race with a 3900 metre climb up Mount Bondone in the Italian alps, as well as a 24km time trial.
Paul Mothershaw, who helps to mentor and support practices as a practice buddy at Hakim Group, said: “Daren’s commitment to the cause is truly inspirational. He has ploughed his energy into training for the event and we’d all love him to do well – it would be incredible to have a world champion in our ranks.”
Rogers chosen charity, the Sunshine Glioblastoma Foundation, holds a personal significance to him. He is taking on the challenge in memory of Katharine Rutherford, the daughter of a long-term friend, George Cooper. Katharine passed away following a brain tumour, and the charity was set up in her memory.
On Rogers crowdfunding page, which he has already surpassed his fundraising target, he said: “We all remember those special teachers or coaches that went the extra mile to empower our lives. George Cooper is one of them. George and Wendy lost their wonderful daughter to a brain tumour, and we thought it was time to give back some of those miles.”
For more information, and to donate, visit the crowdfunding page here.
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