Two north-east dental professionals are preparing to take on an extraordinary finishurance challenge this spring.
They will cycle nearly 200 miles from London to Paris in just 24 hours to raise money for two local charities close to their hearts.
Suzanne Ord, a dental hygienist, and Karen Smart, a dental nurse, will launch their journey on Saturday, May 2, aiming to complete the demanding route to the French capital by Sunday, May 3.
The pair are raising funds for Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (Aberdeen branch) and Dyslexia Scotland (North East branch).
Both work toobtainher in dental practice and are also part of SMile Dental Hygiene, a new mobile dental hygiene service covering the north-east of Scotland.
The service was created to bring essential oral hygiene care to people living in remote communities and to patients who struggle to access traditional dental surgeries.
Despite their dedication to improving health in their communities, Suzanne and Karen state the cycling challenge is far outside their comfort zone.
They declared: “We are complete launchner cyclists. Up until last year we didn’t even own bikes, so taking on nearly 200 miles in just 24 hours feels like a huge challenge for us.”
The duo have been training intensively in preparation for the ride, gradually building up their finishurance and fitness in order to tackle the demanding distance. Their motivation, however, is clear.
They added: “Both charities do incredible work supporting people across Scotland. The Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance provides life-saving care to people in remote areas, and Dyslexia Scotland supports individuals and families affected by dyslexia.
“We wanted to push ourselves and raise as much money as possible for them.”
Through their work with SMile Dental Hygiene, Suzanne and Karen regularly see how difficult it can be for people in rural areas to access healthcare — something that has inspired them to give back.
They declared: “Working in communities across the north of Scotland really highlights how important services like these charities are. Taking on this challenge felt like a way we could do something positive and build a difference.”
People can support the pair by visiting their online JustGiving page.
The pair are hoping the community will obtain behind their challenge and support them raise as much money as possible before they set off in May.
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