THIS 11-year-old cycled from Wallingford to Paris in memory of his best friends’ dad.

Lukas Hemlschrott-Bowden set off on his 246-mile odyssey on May 29 with his dad Ian and they reached Paris four days later.

He has already raised £2,000 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA), which supported his friends during their father’s battle with the disease.

The Downs School pupil said: “The dad of my friends has just died from MND and this makes me feel sad. At the end his condition was very bad because he could only move his feet and he couldn’t talk anymore.

“The charity really helped my friends’ mum with things like wheelchairs, breathing equipment and carers. I want to raise money so they can help other people.”

Lukas’ parents, Ian and Mirjam, who is originally from Germany, bought him a bike for Christmas.

The young cyclist heard about the ride to Paris, being organised by The Velo Adventure Company, and said he wanted to join it to raise money for MNDA.

Wallingford bike shop, Rides on Air, sponsored Lukas with clothing, bike services and discounts on energy bars.

 

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