Trip of a lifetime raises over £2,000
13 May 2008
Chris Conneally completed the trip of a lifetime when he cycled from London to Paris in support of Deafness Research UK. He raised an amazing total of £2,212.99 in sponsorship – a great achievement which we are very grateful for.
Chris says, "Playing competitive sport throughout my childhood and early life, I was used to getting the odd injury and even had a few operations. In each case, there was a reason for how the injury was caused and thankfully a solution to fix the problem. Then in April 2007, at the age of 23, I was diagnosed with sensorineural hearing loss in my right ear. After going swimming with a friend one afternoon I had the sensation of trapped water in my ear. After a few hours of trying to get the trapped water out, I gave up and decided to let nature take its course. Hours turned into days and by the end of the week my GP had incorrectly diagnosed me with ear wax and sent me on my way.
"Several weeks passed and several more incorrect conclusions by my GP finally led me to see a specialist. Nothing quite prepares you for being told that you’ve lost one of your senses, especially when even the expert couldn’t give me a reason for why it happened. It was extremely frustrating. I didn’t suffer from any of the typical causes associated with sensorineural hearing loss and no amount of research could give me an explanation for my sudden deafness. It seemed very unfair. I was in the prime of my life, why did this happen to me? Subsequently I had a period of reflection. What was I going to do? Point the finger at the swimming pool as a contributing factor? Blame the GP for incorrect diagnosis? Feel sorry for myself? I started to realise just how common deafness is in the UK and how many people it affects. I consoled myself with the thought of how much worse it could’ve been for me and I was grateful for still having good hearing in my left ear.
"I concluded that the main reason I was deaf is because not enough is known about sudden sensorineural hearing loss. That means more research is needed and that means more money is needed! So I signed up for a charity cycle race from London to Paris in September 2007 and chose to raise money for Deafness Research UK. The route took us from Greenwich to Dover, Calais, Abberville, Beauvais and finally onto Paris having cycled almost 300 miles and witnessed some truly stunning English and French scenery along the way. My fellow cyclists were great companions and the camaraderie between us really made it a special trip.
"After harassing all my nearest and dearest for donations, I managed to raise £2,212.99 for Deafness Research and have a brilliant time along the way! The training was long and hard and some of the hills in Northern France were even longer and harder, but reaching Paris by bicycle was a fantastic feeling and made all the sweeter because I had raised money for a charity that was so close to my heart. Would I do it again? Would I recommend it? Absolutely...just don’t forget the padded shorts!"
If you are interested in taking part in the London to Paris Cycle ride, or another overseas event which will provide you with the experience of a lifetime whilst raising vital funds to support the work of Deafness Research UK , please visit our events page for further details:
