Former England and Glamorgan batter to embark on a marathon bike challenge in remembrance of his late daughter.
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Former England and Glamorgan batter Steve James strives stretch his physical capabilities to the maximum to achieve a phenomenal feat during ‘Bike for Beth’, following the inquest into his late daughter Bethan’s tragic death in early 2020.
In his continued efforts to keep Bethan’s legacy alive, James’ latest bike ride in Wales will see him take on a monumental 220-mile journey from Cardiff to Narberth and back in a single day on Saturday, October 18. To date, the most the 58-year-old has achieved in 24 hours is 144 miles.
The ride was originally set to take place on September 27, however it had to be pushed back due to James suffering from an infected knee following a crash and the passing of his mother-in-law. These added physical and mental setbacks will only make the cycling test even more of a challenge.
The ‘Bike for Beth’ initiative aims to raise valuable funds for three charities close to the family, including the Cricketers’ Trust along with 2 Wish and Crohn’s & Colitis UK.
The Cricketers’ Trust provides vital life-changing support to current and former professional cricketers in England and Wales with James being one of the many beneficiaries. He and his family received individual and joint counselling through the Trust after Bethan’s death with his heart-breaking story being shared across the country during the 2022 Vitality Blast Finals Day.
- What is ‘Bike for Beth’ and what are the challenges that lie in front of you?
- Steve James) We first did a ‘Bike for Beth’ in 2021 to raise money for various charities that have helped us since my daughter passed such as Crohn’s & Colitis UK, which Beth was really passionate about because she got diagnosed with Crohn’s disease a year before she died.We live in Cardiff and have a place in Narberth, so we plan to cycle there and back on the same day. It will be a 220-mile bike ride. It is going to be a tough day. You are probably looking at around 13-14 hours of riding.I think getting to Narberth is not going to be a problem but coming back will definitely be a challenge knowing I will have another 100 miles to go which is going to be very tough mentally.At any time, I am struggling, I will be thinking about Beth and hopefully Jane (my wife) will be in the car following me which will also help in keeping me going.
- It has been a traumatic time for your family which led to the inquest. How has it been?
- SJ) The inquest was horrendous to be honest. It is something that we pushed for and wanted the outcome to be revealed. We knew all along that Beth shouldn’t have died and at last we got to find out, even though it took a very long time. It was the result we wanted but it does not make it any easier to deal with. The whole process made me feel like she has died again. It has been one of the toughest years since she died. I knew I was going to do the ride, but I did not want to do any publicity because I wanted to get it out of the way.
- How important is this bike ride for you and your family?
- SJ) This bike ride is another way to keep Beth’s name alive, and I am sure something good will come out of it. We are going to raise money for the Cricketers’ Trust who have been really good to us with counselling. The same with 2 Wish and Crohn’s & Colitis UK. She really was struggling with Crohn’s which took a long time to be diagnosed, so three really good causes.
- What is your training regime like ahead of the bike ride in October following your knee injury?
- SJ) There is a group with whom I cycle every Tuesday and Saturday, and I have also got a turbo trainer at home. When I am not injured, I cycle about four to five times a week. I have already done a couple of 100-mile rides this year, so I have got some miles in the bank, but I will have to do some catching up ahead of the actual bike ride.
- Do you have anyone doing the bike ride with you this time around?
- SJ) There have been a few people that have expressed their interest but nothing concrete. To be honest, if I have to do it alone, I am not that bothered about it because if you are on your own, there are less things that can go wrong. But there may be someone who could ride with me but that has not been confirmed yet.
- Have you got any aims on how much money you want to raise for the three causes?
- SJ) The first one was about £18,000 and the second one was about £14-15,000 so if I could get somewhere near that, that would be great. However, I am mindful that there are a lot of charities asking for money and I am doing the same again so I am fairly easy on that so as much as I can raise would be a bonus.
To support Steve James’ Bike for Beth, click here to donate.
