Wheathampstead couple head to Arnhem on tandem to raise cash for Help for Heroes

A FIGHTING fit husband and wife team have completed a “humbling” 350-mile charity tour on a bicycle made for two.

Andrew and Heather Waterfield, both aged 54, of Lamer Lane, Wheathampstead, are regular Help for Heroes fundraisers and have just returned from the challenging Bridge Too Far Bike Ride, a charity challenge which saw thousands of people cycle from Brussels to Arnhem over a six day period.

The pair, who have been married for 30 years, pedalled a tandem bike through Antwerp, Eindhoven, Leuven and Nijmegen alongside hundreds of other entrants – including a group of wounded servicemen and women from both the UK and America.

Nurse Heather, whose husband is a surgeon, said that the journey was very moving: “There was a lot of wreath laying and remembering, and it was the most humbling experience that my husband and I have ever had.

“There were no complaints about sore bottoms or any aches and pains – the injured servicemen were inspirational, cycling with their injuries for 350 miles. We were not able to complain about anything; it was a true privilege to be able to take part.”

The couple support Help for Heroes because of its important life-changing work for the surviving but severely injured army, navy and RAF personnel returning from combat duties. It’s also significant to them because they have two sons who are already officers in the British Army and a daughter who is going to Sandhurst in January 2011.

Andrew and Heather have already raised �10,140 for charity but to help boost their total, sponsor the pair online at www.bmycharity.com/v2/andrewwaterfield

To read a blog and see videos of their trek, visit www.helpforheroes.org.uk/bridge-too-far-bike-ride-2010.html