Meet The Flying Helmets
In July 2011 brothers Damian and Martin McGinty, along with a team of friends collectively known as The Flying Helmets, completed a gruelling 1,575km cycle from Land’s End to John O’Groats, raising more than £50,000 for Marie Curie.
Damian and Martin completed the challenge in memory of their mother, Patricia, who was cared for at the Marie Curie Hospice, Glasgow in 2014. Patricia died aged 52, just five weeks after being diagnosed with skin cancer.
After setting off from Land’s End on Friday, 29 July, the team pedalled the length of Great Britain, arriving in John O’Groats just after lunchtime on Sunday 7 August.
Damian said: “As all too many people know losing a parent at a relatively young age is really tough. Our mum was one of the most caring, understanding and, above all, fun-loving people you could ever wish to meet. The staff and volunteers at the Marie Curie Hospice allowed her to carry on being all of those things throughout her time there.
“As a family we cannot speak highly enough of the services that Marie Curie provides. Our mum spent a week at the hospice in Glasgow and was also visited at home by Marie Curie Nurses, who made her as comfortable as possible and enabled her to spend time in her own surroundings, amongst family and friends. The Marie Curie team provided expert care and support, completely free of charge. They gave our mum the best possible quality of life in her final days, and we are forever grateful for the incredible service provided.”
