Carl Stewart, 47, is a military veteran living in Alnmouth and has raised £3,539 for Help For Heroes by participating in The Big Battlefield Bike Ride.
He first attended the event with colleagues from SUEZ ReCyclists in 2023 and this year, having loved the challenge and camaraderie, Carl and his friend Darren Handyside, 58, from Amble and also a veteran, took on the four day challenge again and travelled 380 miles across France and the Normandy beaches.
The event took place from June 24 to 29 and commemorated the 80th anniversary of D-Day. It is put together by the charity Help For Heroes, who give life changing support to military veterans and their families.
Carl said: “I remember just standing in silence there, listening to the birds and how peaceful it really was. And to think what it must be like 80 years ago. The noise, smells the death, everything would have been unbelievable.
"Honestly, it was just unbelievable. It’s been a long time since I’ve had adrenaline like I did that day because I was just screaming. Crowds were cheering, horns were honking on cars, it was just fantastic.”
Carl dedicated three days a week to cycle 30 miles a day in preparation for the long ride, a step up from his last attempt, which he described himself as being wildly unprepared for but still enjoyed no less.
For Darren, this was his first time participating in the event and his first time riding a bike since being a child. He practised for two months before the event and also completed the event by Carl's side, despite coming out with a few scuffs and bruises.
Carl added: "We were constantly cycling I would say for about six hours a day. The final day was relentless. But, it’s unbelievable. You've got people with one leg doing it, you've got blind people doing it and it's fantastic to see it.”
Both Carl and Darren have signed up again for next year and look forward to taking on a new route starting from Buckingham Palace, then venturing into France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany.
You can still donate to Darren’s JustGiving page here, which goes to Help For Heroes.