Ben's Duchenne Dash
Ben Griffiths rode the Dash in 2017, joining as part of Foodbuy's sponsor team. He's been involved with the Dash every year since by volunteering as a member of the support team.
This is Ben's Dash story.
Ben Griffiths rode the Dash in 2017, joining as part of Foodbuy's sponsor team. He's been involved with the Dash every year since by volunteering as a member of the support team.
This is Ben's Dash story.
Why did you decide to do the Duchenne Dash?
“In 2016, Oli Cock rode the Dash and signed Foodbuy up as a corporate sponsor. I didn’t look away quick enough, and became a member of the inaugural Foodbuy Dash team! All joking aside, when Oli came back and explained about Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the impact it has to so many families and the work Emily and the team were doing to end Duchenne, there was no way I wasn’t going to be a part of the cause.”
How do you train? Any tips?
“Nowadays, I drive one of the support vehicles so training consists of driving around Buckinghamshire slowly, eating sweets, with my wife shouting at me! To be fair, that isn’t too far off what happened when I was actually training for the dash, but then I was on two wheels…”
“My tips would be to try and train with others. It’s a long time in the saddle and therefore, the company is good to keep the motivation high. Stay hydrated, eat regularly (pork pies are a good savoury treat!) and have lots of chamois cream for those long training rides.”
What is the Dash like to participate it? What were the best bits?
“There aren’t enough superlatives to describe what it’s like to participate in the Dash, both as a rider and a support crew member. As a rider, all you’ve got to do is peddle, everything else is taken care of. You’ll be around a great bunch of people, having fun and doing something pretty incredible. The support crew are there for any unforeseen circumstances, so just ask if you need anything.”
“The bit that keeps drawing me back is that I get to spend the weekend being a part of an incredible experience, with incredible people, doing something incredible for a great cause, who doesn’t want to be a part of that? Askew’s (Duchenne UK CEO, Emily Reuben’s son’s band) performance in 2022 at the Gala Dinner is definitely up there as one of my best bits though!”
What would you say to someone to encourage them to do it?
“You can do it! In 6 months, I went from getting on a bike for the first time in 20 years to cycling 190 miles in 24 hours. So if I can do it, so can you, and I’m not the only person who’ll give you that advice.”
“You won’t come across a better organised charity event that makes you feel genuinely positive about humanity or gives you as much of a sense of purpose as the Dash. From arriving at Herne Hill on the Friday to getting off the train in St Pancras on the Sunday, you’ll have a massive smile on your face!”