A Six-Year-Old's Bike Ride Raises Thousands for Charity

When Wesley Hamnett shared his idea with his wife about cycling 137 miles from Glasgow to Manchester on his six-year-old daughter's bicycle, she thought he was crazy.

The unusual journey was for the purpose of raising funds for various charities he is involved with.

"Everyone raised an eyebrow when they heard about it," he now shares with the media after completing his six-day journey on a bike with 12-inch wheels. "My original plan was to cycle from Russia to Manchester, but COVID scuttled that, so I compromised on traveling from Glasgow to Manchester instead."

Hamnett's grandfather passed away from cancer last year, and he decided to do something truly meaningful in his memory. "I wanted to remember my grandfather in a different way," he says.

According to him, he wasn't even sure he could complete the journey, but there was no chance he'd give up on it. "I was scared the bike wouldn’t make it," he laughs. "On certain hills, I felt like I was going to die, and I needed to change the tires eight times on the way. I barely managed to finish it, but in those moments of struggle, I only saw my grandfather's face, and it helped me persevere. I wanted to raise money for charities I knew personally that help many children and cancer patients. I thought that by doing so, I would encourage people to donate, and even though it's a silly challenge, I would do it again and again to convince them the money goes to good causes."

Though the bike required a lot of repairs along the way, Wesley did not give up and continued pedaling. "The wheels were crushed by my weight, and at first, I realized I'd been cheated by a guy who didn't really fix them for me. It was only when I replaced them for the third time and they got crushed again, that I understood this is how I was going to complete the challenge, no other way."

He says people who heard about his challenge quickly offered help. "There was one grandfather who made my day after replacing my wheels for free. He took the new wheels from his grandson's bike, reassuring me that he'd buy him a new one. It almost made me cry to see how generous people were. Some, of course, also donated money along the way."

The local media dedicated an entire article to Hamnett, stating that in six days and with a $25 bike, he managed to raise $10,900 for medical charities in the UK that support cancer and heart disease patients.

"Although I barely slept and I'm still dealing with crazy back pains, it was worth every minute," he concludes excitedly.