Parabis Law partner completes Newcastle to London cycle challenge

Andrew Steel, a partner at defendant insurance law firm Parabis Law, has cycled from Newcastle to London to raise money for the Williams Syndrome Foundation (WSF).

The lawyer completed the gruelling 498 kilometres Ride 24 Challenge route in 20 hours 27 minutes, raising

£2,260 for WSF in the process. Steel said that he was encouraged to raise money for the little known condition having witnessed the experiences of a friend’s son who has Williams Syndrome.

The syndrome is a rare condition which affects around one in 18,000 people. It is a congenital syndrome due to the deletion of one of the chromosomes which causes a range of emotional, physical and learning problems throughout life.

“It was a gruelling and really tough challenge,” said Steel.

“The first half went by in a flash, but there was a particularly low point just as we approached London. There were 20 of us sitting in a room struggling to get food on board and I wasn’t sure if I could carry on. But we willed each other on and the sense of relief as we crossed the finish line in Smithfield made it all worthwhile.”

“I’d also like to say a big thank you to the organisers and volunteers, who were incredibly encouraging and enthusiastic. They made the ride an awful lot easier,” Andrew added.

The WSF is the first point of contact for people with WS, their families and professionals needing support and information. It also actively supports research into the educational, behavioural, social, scientific and medical aspects of the Syndrome.

Mark Dugdale