World Champion Speedway rider, Tai Woffinden, will swap his motorcycle for a static bike on 1st February with a challenging 24 hour Zwift ride in aid of Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity (GOSH Charity).
Woffinden, known for his daredevil talent on the Speedway track, is taking his speed to an endurance challenge of 24 hours of bicycle riding. Woffinden is aiming to double his previous fundraising goal and raise £200,000 in support of the childrens’ hospital and is inviting fans to join him along the route by signing up via the Zwift online platform and donating via his JustGiving page.
The entire 24 hour ride will be livestreamed on his YouTube channel with hourly post updates on his Instagram and Facebook channels. Tai will be joined by celebrities from the world of Speedway, cycling, music and entertainment throughout the 24 hour event.
Woffinden will start off at 8.30am GMT live streaming from his studio in Derbyshire and finish 24 hours later. Zwift, the world’s biggest online cycling platform, will be supporting the event by listing 12 x 2 hour events on its platform. Zwift participants will join Tai in the rides, including a few “power hour” events where celebrities in cycling and triathlon will challenge Tai with the support of corporate fundraising matches during these hours.
All funds raised will go towards the new Sight and Sound Centre supported by Premier Inn at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH); the first dedicated facility for children with sight and hearing loss in the UK. Children with these conditions are the largest group of outpatients at the hospital, and they need more specialist facilities designed to meet their needs. The centre is due to open later in 2021.
Woffinden said: “GOSH is a charity that’s really close to my heart and I can’t think of a better reason to get on my bike. As a professional Speedway racer I depend on my sight and hearing to give me a competitive edge so I can’t imagine how tough it must be for kids experiencing those conditions. I’d like to thank my friends from the Speedway circuit and other pro athletes who have already agreed to support me and I’m calling on all my supporters to donate and to join me for part of the ride and help keep my energy up as I push through the pain barrier.”
Liz Tait, Director of Fundraising for GOSH Charity added: “It’s been a tough year for fundraising in the light of the global pandemic, with many of our usual events in support of the hospital cancelled or paused due to Covid-19 restrictions. To have Tai undertake this extraordinary challenge, in extraordinary times is fantastic, and we are incredibly grateful for his support. The funds raised will be in support of an absolutely vital facility to help children from right across the UK who live with rare and complex sight and hearing conditions, and we’ll be cheering him on the whole way.”
Eric Min, Zwift CEO and Co-Founder from Zwift said: “We started Zwift over seven years ago with the aim of getting people more active more often by making indoor training fun. Since the very beginning we’ve been astounded by the achievements and creativity of our wonderful community. It’s fantastic to see that the platform is helping people stay active but also as a platform to raise money for great causes. A 24 hour marathon is no small feat and I wish Tai all the very best in his effort to raise £200,000 for GOSH. I hope the community will join me and support Tai in one (or more) of the official events to help him get to that finish line.”
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tai-woffinden108
About Tai Woffinden
Tai Woffinden is a British speedway rider. In 2013, he became World Speedway Champion and followed this up in 2015 & 2018. Tai currently rides for the Betard Sparta Wrocław in the Polish Speedway Ekstraliga and the World Championship series .
Woffinden is the current captain of the Great Britain team. In 2016 the final was held at the national speedway stadium at Belle Vue, Manchester where team GB were runners up to Poland. taiwoffinden.com
About Great Ormond Street Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity
Great Ormond Street Hospital is one of the world’s leading children’s hospitals with the broadest range of dedicated, children’s healthcare specialists under one roof in the UK. The hospital’s pioneering research and treatment gives hope to children from across the UK with the rarest, most complex and often life-threatening conditions. Our patients and families are central to everything we do – from the moment they come through the door and for as long as they need us.
Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity needs to raise money to support the hospital to give seriously ill children the best chance for life. The charity funds research into pioneering new treatments for children, provides the most up to date medical equipment, funds support services for children and their families and supports the essential rebuilding and refurbishment of the hospital. You can help us to provide world class care for our patients and families. For more information visit www.gosh.org
About Zwift
Zwift is the fitness company born from gaming. We’re dedicated fitness enthusiasts that also happen to be experienced software and video game developers. Combining that passion and deep understanding of the fitness world, Zwift is the first company to use massively multiplayer gaming technology to bring the outdoor experience indoors. Athletes from around the globe can train and compete with each other in rich, 3D-generated worlds simply by connecting their existing devices & hardware (e.g. cycle trainers, power meters, treadmills, heart rate monitors, etc) wirelessly via open industry standard ANT+ and BLE. From friendly competition, to racing & structured training programs, Zwift is building a community of like-minded athletes united in the pursuit of a better social fitness experience. zwift.com