More than 27,000 cyclists are taking part in the 54-mile London to Brighton bike ride in aid of the British Heart Foundation.
Riders set off from Clapham Common from 06:00 BST, with the first arriving at the finish just before 09:00.
The toughest part of the ride is the climb up 813ft (247m) Ditchling Beacon just outside Brighton, which takes an average of 15 minutes to scale.
The event, which is now in its 37th year, has raised more than £50m.
Among the riders taking part was Toby Field from Eastbourne, also known as the Fat Cycle Rider, who has lost 8st 14lb in weight since taking up cycling.
His father died from a weight-related heart attack at the age of 55, and Mr Field said after his father's death he was in denial about his own health problems.
"I wanted a cheap bike so I could ride around the park with my kids. I was walking and they were leaving me behind. That's where it all started."
Road closures have been in place along the route out of London, through the boroughs of Reigate and Banstead and Tandridge in Surrey and through Sussex into Brighton.
Southern Railway and First Capital Connect do not allow bikes to be carried on trains on race day, but a park and ride service operates between Brighton Racecourse and Madeira Drive.
Bus services have been redirected and Brighton and Hove Bus and Coach company said the A23 into Brighton was gridlocked at about midday because of the race.
Source: www.bbc.co.uk
'Bionic' woman who competed in the London Marathon will cycle from Paris to London for charity - Daily Mail
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She captured the hearts of the nation when she miraculously crossed the finish line of the London Marathon by using bionic legs.
And now Claire Lomas plans to captivate Briton's once more - by cycling from Paris to London.
Despite not being able to move her legs she will cover the 250 mile ride on a special bike which uses electrical pulses to stimulate her muscles, forcing her to pedal.
Claire Lomas on her exercise bike at ;home in Melton, Mowbray. She is hoping to ride from Paris to London next Spring, despite being paralysed
Miss Lomas, who was left paralysed from the waist down following a horse-riding accident which severed her spinal cord, will once again be accompanied by her husband Dan.
'It is going to be really hard work but it is going to be very different to doing the marathon,' said the 31-year-old to the Sunday Telegraph. 'For the marathon I didn't have to be super fit as the pace was so slow in the robot.'
Miss Lomas, who is a mother to one-year-old Maisie, said she is concerned about not being able to tackle hills but has been using an indoor bike to train and is looking forward to being able to cycle outdoors.
In April this year she was joined by her husband, a research biologist, and tiny daughter for every step of the London Marathon, which took her two and a half weeks to complete.
Miss Lomas, of Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, managed to raise more than 200,000 for Spinal Research and attracted world wide attention during the challenge.
Aching with pain and struggling to stay upright she crossed the finish line a gruelling 16 days after she first started.
Hundreds gathered to watch Claire as she completed her challenge in London
A delighted Claire, who was supported by her husband Dan all the way, plants a kiss on daughter Maisie
People across the country were outraged when organisers refused to honour her achievement with an official medal because she did not finish within 24 hours.
Instead, 14 of her fellow runners, who were so inspired by her efforts donated theirs.
Miss Lomas was overwhelmed by support during her efforts and said it inspired her to think of something else to do for charity.
Her legs will be strapped into the special Functional Electrical Stimulation Bike, which is actually a tricycle, and electrodes will be attached to her thighs and connected to an electrical stimulator.
A computer, activated with the push of a button, will control the muscles in her legs and cause them to produce a pedalling motion.
Claire, pictured in her wheelchair with Maisie, will use a special tricycle to help her complete the ride from Paris to London
A throttle in the handle will also manage the intensity of the stimulation and the speed of the pedalling.
As part of her training Miss Lomas will take part in an outdoor ride from Glasgow later this month and hopes to complete her challenge from Paris to London in the Spring of next year.
She has said that although she gets help with pedalling from the electrical stimulation, it is still tiring for her.
'The signals from my brain can't get down my spinal cord because of my injury so they don't reach my legs, so the pads put an electrical signal straight into the muscles to make them contract. They still need oxygen and it requires cardiovascular fitness,' she said.
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Hot and Humid Weather to Invade Windsor-Essex, Tuesday to Thursday - windsorite.ca
We’re in for a lot of heat in the coming days in Windsor-Essex.
Environment Canada says a very warm air mass is projected to arrive on Monday over southwestern Ontario and make its way across the rest of Southern Ontario through the week.
The heat is expected to intensify and spread over much of Southern Ontario on Tuesday building into a three-day heat episode. Monday’s high temperatures are expected to reach the 30°C or 86°F mark in Windsor. The mercury is anticipated to soar past 35°C or 95°F Tuesday and likely persist through Thursday, affecting Windsor, Essex County and much of Southwestern Ontario to the greater Toronto area.
Elevated humidity levels will combine with the high temperatures to give humidex values of 40°C or 104°F and higher. Night-time temperatures will also remain very warm and are not expected to drop below 22°C or 72°F.
This is expected to make for very uncomfortable conditions and moderate to high readings in the air quality health index.
Source: windsorite.ca
London 2012: Tasha Danvers gives up dream of competing at Olympics - The Guardian
Britain's Tasha Danvers, the bronze medallist in the 400m hurdles at the Beijing Olympics, has retired after conceding defeat in her battle to be fit for the London 2012 Games. The 34-year-old has suffered a series of injuries and ahead of the preliminary squad announcement for the Games this week Danvers, from south London, has quit.
"It's extremely disappointing not to be able to put myself into contention for selection for London 2012," she said. "Based on my training at different stages my coach and I believed we had a genuine chance of making it. But the setbacks have been too many to overcome.
"Since winning Olympic bronze in Beijing I have made so many sacrifices to fulfil my dream of competing in London. Making the decision to relocate back to the UK meant leaving my seven-year-old son behind in America, which is the hardest thing in the world to do. But we genuinely believed I could step on to that podium again and with the support of my family, [coach] Malcolm Arnold, UKA, the medical team and the National Lottery, I've done everything possible to try to achieve that. Sadly my body has had enough."
Danvers, who also won Commonwealth Games silver in 2006 – less than 18 months after giving birth to her son – has made every final she has contested since 2004.
Arnold said: "This is the worse possible news for Tasha but there is no doubt she has thrown everything at trying to make London. She is an Olympic medallist and that pedigree doesn't just disappear. I was confident that if we could get her to the Games she would have been very competitive.
"This is the flipside of the Olympic dream but career-ending injuries are a fact of life at this level of sport. Our medical team have worked incredibly hard but sometimes the body knows best."
Great Britain's head coach Charles van Commenee added: "We don't have too many current Olympic medallists in our team and in an ideal world they would all be with us in London. Tasha knows what it takes to be competitive and make the podium, which would have been a huge advantage. Retirement is a hard decision for any athlete but when the decision is taken out of your hands so close to an Olympic Games, it must be even tougher. I wish Tasha all the very best."
Source: www.guardian.co.uk
Cabbie accused of causing man's death in crash walks free after claiming he had 'sneezing fit' at the wheel - Daily Mail
- Taxi driver said he sneezed seven or eight times which prevented him seeing car in front
By Amy Oliver
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A taxi driver accused of causing a man's death following a car crash has walked free after claiming he was having a 'sneezing fit'.
Phillip Parker, 38, smashed into Malkit Khatkar's Vauxhall Vectra as he was driving home from work in the early hours of New Year's Day last year.
Mr Khatkar, 70, suffered serious spinal injuries in the accident on the A2 at Wilmington, Kent, before dying two weeks later.
Let off: Phillip Parker, 38, of Chatham, Kent, was left in floods of tears as he was acquitted for causing death by careless driving at Maidstone Crown Court
Mr Parker denied causing death by careless driving, claiming he only hit Mr Khatkar because he sneezed seven or eight times in a row, which prevented him from seeing the car in front.
The taxi driver, of Chatham, Kent, was left in floods of tears as he was acquitted for causing death by careless driving by a jury at Maidstone Crown Court on Friday.
Before the verdict, Anthony Prosser, prosecuting, told the court that Parker was at fault and not driving to the 'standard of a careful and competent driver'.
He said: 'The Crown say if he did have a sneezing fit there was at least 30 seconds of visibility of the car in front and plenty of time to brake and do anything to avoid the rear-end collision.
Tragic: Malkit Khatkar, 70, was initially taken to Darent Valley Hospital in Kent suffering spinal injuries but died two weeks later
'The Vectra was there to be seen on a straight stretch of road. The reality is he drove into the back of the car, causing the collision.'
Mr Prosser added if sneezing did not explain the cause, it could have been lack of concentration or tiredness.
There were no independent witnesses to the crash, which happened at about 5.20am on a long straight stretch of the coast-bound carriageway.
Off-duty PC William Parish arrived on the scene just after the collision on the inside lane.
The Vectra had been struck from the rear and spun around. Mr Khatkar had to be cut out.
He was taken to Darent Valley Hospital, in Dartford, Kent and then transferred to Stoke Mandeville in Aylesbury, Bucks, on January 16.
Parker, who denied the charge, said in a police interview of his sneezing: 'It didn't well up, it just - bang - happened.'
He said in evidence: 'It was just one after another.'
Asked by Mr Prosser how he missed an object in the road directly ahead of him, he replied: 'All I can tell you is I had a sneezing fit and the car was there.
'It looked like it was stationary and I went into the back of it. I did brake.'
Mr Prosser said it was not possible to say how fast Mr Khatkar was travelling and it was possible his car was stationary at the time of the collision.
Mr Parker, who suffered a broken collarbone, said his speed was about 50-60mph. He denied being tired.
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Essex Relay for Life: Part 5 - Event sponsors - Examiner
The Essex Relay for Life made history with its “20th Anniversary Relay” event held for the twentieth time at the Community College of Baltimore County – Essex campus(CCBC-Essex) . However, as with many large, multi-discipline events, this one could not have been accomplished without the support and sponsorship of many partners. The Essex Relay was honored to have the support of the CCBC – Essex campus. A special thanks goes to the dean of the campus, Dr. Al Starr along with the Theatre Department, Public Safety and the Maintenance/Grounds crew – all contributed to the relay's success!
Some other folks partnered with the Essex Relay to provide fun and entertainment including “Music by Jimmy D,” “The Magic of Kirtley,” “Patty the Clown” and the “Bubble Lady” (Margie Lynch). Children of all enjoyed the music, magic and the great bubble creations.
Local businesses and organizations also partnered with Essex Relay to insure the success of the event. These sponsors include: Disability Support Services, XPEDX, Al Packer's White Marsh Ford, MARS Supermarkets, Jerry D's Catering, Geresbeck's Supermarkets, Chick-Fil-A, Tom Casson's Nursery, Costco, Frank Woke, Pizza John's and Jephthah Lodge #222.
Some special thanks are also extended to a wonderful photographer, John DiPaula; an awesome emcee, Bob Delmont from WPOC 93.1 Baltimore's Country Radio Station; a fantastic survivor and guest speaker, Larry “Wes” Hensen known as Captain Dee-Fense and “Super Ravens Fan”; and, a beautifully talented Ed McFarland, Bagpiper, who led the Luminaria Ceremony Lap.
It is important for cancer supporters to thank these sponsors to let them know how appreciated their support is.
For more information about cancer and/or Relay for Life events, contact the American Cancer Society through the website, toll free number 1-800-227-2345 or through the local offices at White Marsh 410-931-6850.
Source: www.examiner.com
Kent State baseball notebook: CWS trip earns new lights at Schoonover Stadium - Akron Beacon Journal
OMAHA, Neb.: This fall, Kent State’s baseball team will see a tangible result of its first trip to the College World Series.
KSU president Lester Lefton said Saturday he’s signed the paperwork for the installation of lights at Schoonover Stadium. Lefton estimated the expenditure at $500,000 to $1 million.
“It’s something that’s long been needed,” Lefton said during Kent State’s opening 8-1 loss to Arkansas at TD Ameritrade Park. “It’s the first of a series of installments of our investment in baseball. We’re clearly showing we’ve got a national-caliber team, a national-caliber coach, and we need to have national-caliber facilities. We’re part of the way there; we’re going to go the rest of the way.”
Schoonover Stadium underwent $4 million in renovations between 2005 and 2007. As for what “the rest of the way” means, Lefton said Director of Athletics Joel Nielsen and baseball coach Scott Stricklin should come up with “a series of strategic things we should be doing for us to continue to come back here every year.”
“He called me when we were on the field celebrating at Oregon,” Stricklin said. “When the president calls, you pick it up.
“We’ve got some things to do at Kent State, some things to build. That’s what we’ve talked about from Day One that I’ve been here. It’s been eight years. We want to continue to build and get bigger and better. Just because we’re here doesn’t mean we’re going to stop.”
Nielsen said schools do not get a share of revenue like in the NCAA basketball tournament. But the university will receive some money from merchandise sales.
“I’m real curious to see next quarter’s report,” Nielsen said. “The guys on the radio were doing a snapshot of these tents and they said the two biggest sellers were Stony Brook and Kent State.”
Lefton said lights should help Stricklin in recruiting and scheduling.
“We’ve got some very strong supporters of baseball, of coach Stricklin and our team and I’m going to try to reprioritize some internal resources to get this done as a vote of confidence and a thank you to make it easier for the coach to recruit,” Lefton said. “Win, lose or draw today, getting here is very important. It shows we’ve got the stuff to compete at a national level.”
Bagoly’s mother dies
The “CM” sticker worn by Kent State players on their caps and helmets was in memory of Jason Bagoly’s mother Cheryl McHenry, who passed away unexpectedly Thursday night. A junior catcher from Austintown Fitch, Bagoly elected to stay with the team because funeral arrangements have not been finalized.
“We all feel awful for Jason,” Stricklin said. “We gave him the option if he wanted to fly home, but most of his family’s here and his second family, his team, is here.”
Bagoly was on deck to bat in the ninth inning when the game ended on George Roberts’ double-play grounder to short and T.J. Sutton’s groundout.
“He’s going to get an at-bat for sure on Monday. He’s been a great hitter for us,” Stricklin said of Bagoly, hitting .264. “Our prayers are with his family and our thoughts are with him. He’s gotten a lot of hugs from our kids the last couple days. We love him to death and he loves us back because he wants to stay with us.”
Toasting Cribbs
Lisa Skulina didn’t think she could afford a trip to the College World Series. A 49-year-old single working mother, she wanted to follow her son Tyler, a Walsh Jesuit product who pitches third in Kent State’s starting rotation. Then about 10:45 p.m. Thursday, she got a call from Josh Cribbs’ assistant. Two spots on the bus chartered by the Browns receiver had become available, the $150 price tag also covering a hotel room and game ticket. Lisa Skulina and her 24-year-old daughter Amanda had to be ready to board the bus at 7:30 Friday morning.
Lisa and Amanda Skulina were among a crowd of more than 400 KSU fans that packed the second floor of the Old Mattress Factory Bar and Grille for an alumni reception before Saturday’s game. Many wore “Flash Mob” T-shirts with “Team Cribbs” on the back, given to those on the bus. Cribbs didn’t make the journey, which took 16 hours, including two food stops, but climbed aboard to give a pre-trip speech and shook everyone’s hands before it left. The former KSU quarterback flew in Saturday evening. Also in attendance was Ben Curtis, the 2003 British Open champion from Stow.
Joe Chaffin, 19, and Cory Carney, 19, both of Creston and Norwayne High School, were among those who survived the bus ride, arriving at 11:30 p.m. Friday.
“It was rowdy times 10,” Carney said.
“I slept in 20-minute naps,” Chaffin said. “There weren’t very many dull moments.”
Chaffin has been amazed at the television cameras following them, including ESPN.
“Everyone comes up and says, ‘Were you on the Cribbs’ bus? We’re famous,” Chaffin said.
KSU graduates Liz Sauer, 26, and her friend Mandy Grodin, 33, thought about driving from Cleveland before buying tickets on the bus. Sauer is one of four members of the athletic department grounds crew.
“It was a party,” Grodin said. “Iowa was very long.”
’92 reunion
Several members of the 1992 Golden Flashes baseball team were among those at the reception. They played with Stricklin, an All-Mid-American Conference catcher in 1992 and ’93.
“We all knew Scott was building the program the last couple years, especially last year beating Texas,” said Sean Freeman, a former KSU first baseman from Ashtabula, in reference to the 2011 NCAA Tournament. “I’m happy and exhilarated. But surprised? Not really.”
Kevin Zellers, a former third baseman from Cleveland who now lives in Dallas, has been paying close attention to KSU’s NCAA games on television.
“It’s almost like you’re there with Scott,” Zellers said. “You fully understand what’s going on. When a guy was picked off first base, I knew that was coming.”
Marla Ridenour can be reached at mridenour@thebeaconjournal.com. Read her blog at http://www.ohio.com/marla. Follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/MRidenourABJ.
Source: www.ohio.com
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