Hanson Global Cycle Team with original front wheel from John’s round-the-world bicycle. From left: John Hanson, Bethany Hanson, Joshua Hanson, Jonny Hanson. Credit: Paula Hanson.
Three generations of the Hanson family will cycle the length and breadth of Ireland to raise money for Tearfund in a bid to tackle climate change.
Dr Jonny Hanson, his dad Rev John Hanson and his two oldest children, aged 10 and 11, will cycle to mark the 40th anniversary of John’s year-long round–the–world trip which raised over £50,000 for the development charity.
In September 1981, John, and fellow Ulsterman John Rodgers set off on an epic bike journey from Dungannon, Co Tyrone, that took them around the world in 12 months and 13,000 miles.
Raising over £50,000 for development charity Tearfund, John Hanson also published a book on the journey, Around the World in Cycle Clips, and donated his bicycle to the Ulster Transport Museum, where it remains on display.
John said the main purpose of the round-the-world cycle was to draw attention to the appalling fact that millions of people didn’t have food to eat or clean water to drink.
In 1998, John Hanson and his son Jonny, then aged 10, cycled the 330 miles from Cork to Coleraine by tandem in 3.5 days. They raised money for repairs to the roof of their church, Second Ballybay Presbyterian, and for the Camphill Community at Ballybay. They never got round to writing a book about it but the tandem is still in use today.
“The ‘get-up-and-go’ that characterises these cycling adventures is the same ‘get-up-and-go’ required to transition our economies and societies to sustainability. Everyone has a part to play,” said Dr Jonny Hanson.
John Hanson (right) and John Rodgers arriving in Dungannon in September 1982. Credit: unknown.
To mark this special 40th anniversary, John, Jonny and Jonny’s eldest children, Joshua (11) and Bethany (10), will cycle from Tralee, Co Kerry, to Jubilee Farm, Co Antrim, on two tandems from 14 to 20 August.
They’ll be raising money to support the work of Tearfund and Jubilee Farm, Northern Ireland’s first community-owned farm, in tackling the causes and effects of climate change, while also highlighting the need for action on these issues from church leaders and churchgoers in particular.
“We’re looking forward to seeing different parts of Ireland and feeling good about cycling across it,” said Joshua and Bethany Hanson in a joint statement.
This is the Hanson Global Cycle: 40 years; three generations; one world.
The crowdfunder site is https://justgiving.com/crowdfunding/hansonglobalcycle.
