Intrepid Wrexham biker to take on solo trek of the lifetime to raise awareness of vital health volunteers

An intrepid Wrexham biker will embark on a challenging solo trek this weekend to help raise awareness of vital health volunteers

Over the next month John Peers will travel more than 12,000 miles across some of the most inhospitable terrain and extremes of temperature in the world.

In recent years John has participated in several solo adventures, but this time he’ll be riding from Wrexham in North Wales across Europe to Siberia, including visits to St Petersburg and Moscow en route.

Setting off on Saturday 1st June, John is undertaking this arduous ride, not so much to fundraise, but rather to raise awareness of a range of health-related volunteer organisations that are close to his heart.

John is a Blood Bike rider in North Wales, where he works with NHS Wales to deliver test results and essentials, such as vital blood plasma, across the region.

He’s also a qualified First Responder and is undertaking this epic journey to publicise the importance of this organisation too. John will be working voluntarily 10 hours a week as a community First Responder and is fully trained to be dispatched to attend medical emergencies until an ambulance arrives.

John is also raising awareness of the GoodSAM app, which is linked to the First Responders’ initiative. GoodSAM (Smartphone Activated Medics) incorporates the world’s most advanced emergency alerting and dispatching platform, through a community of over 40,000 trained and trusted community responders.

The GoodSAM Cardiac system integrates with the ambulance service, to trigger ‘bystander response’ while the ambulance service is en route, including alerts on access to defibrillator stations in the locality.

John’s love of motorcycling has been inspired by his hero – Finnish champion speedway rider Ila Teromaa. Before Ila’s death in 2017, John met him and has been inspired to undertake various challenges on his bike in memory of this talented rider.

His principal sponsor in his latest two-wheeled adventure is Bill Smiths Motors, a specialist motorcycle retailer in Chester.

Speaking ahead of his journey, John said: “I’m ready to undertake the challenge and hope that my feats will convince other people to become Blood Bike riders too.

“Organisations such as the Blood Bikes are making a real difference to patient care and the NHS.

“If, like me, you enjoy riding your motorcycle then helping to change peoples’ lives whilst out riding is a bonus.

“It’s the same with the GoodSAM project and First Responders. Though made up of volunteers, they are all vital parts of the bigger picture and it means a great deal to me to raise their profiles in any way I can.

“I’ll be riding my Honda Africa Twin across some spectacular but demanding terrain and although I’ve completed some long rides in the past, I’m not sure exactly what to expect through 25 different countries en route to Siberia.”

For further information on John’s solo challenge, you can contact him through Facebook John Peers and follow his trip through You Tube’s John Peers Motorcycle Tours.

For more information on any of the volunteer organisations John is raising awareness of, visit the websites at www.bloodbike.wales, http://www.sja.org.uk and www.goodsamapp.org