Like father, like son: London to Paris for St Luke’s

11th March 2025

Cycling from London to Paris for St Luke’s

A father and son duo will be pushing the pedals in aid of St Luke’s this summer as they take on a 250 mile cycling challenge from London to Paris.

Luke Clement and his 10-year-old son James, from Horrabridge are no strangers to two-wheeled escapades, so their chosen mode of transport for their upcoming challenge comes as no surprise.

This summer the pair will be cycling from London to Paris while raising money for St Luke’s. The challenge will be over the course of 5 days and will see them cycling 250 miles, starting at The Tower of London and finishing at The Eiffel Tower.

Luke said: “James and I absolutely love cycling together and have been on some pretty cool adventures before. Last year we cycled from Ilfracombe to Plymouth (100 miles) in two days but we are always looking to go bigger and better so this seemed like a good next step!

Making a difference

“We chose St Luke’s as we feel that what they offer as an independent charity is incredible. We understand that there are a wide range of people that St Luke’s treat and support but we have been particularly hit hard with cancer among several family members so wanted to support a charity that has an impact on this.”

James’ great grandfather, David Rooke, was cared for by St Luke’s in his final weeks after being diagnosed with cancer.

“The team that took care of David were amazing and gave great comfort to him and those around him; taking care of him at his home whilst also supporting other family members who were going through so much at the time. The family have been so grateful for this. I am just so glad to be able to help whilst doing something we love and feel lucky to have an incredibly resilient and mad son!”

Luke and James have been hard at work training for the ride, starting on 1 August and have been fitting in rides at every opportunity.

Luke said: “We will need to be comfortably cycling 50 miles per day during the challenge to do it in the timeframe we have set ourselves, so we will need to gradually increase the length of the rides we are doing leading up to the challenge. We will be out at least twice a week between now and August, trying to dodge the wet weather where we can!”

They have set their fundraising goal as £3,000 and are already nearing a third of that. £3,000 would mean that three other families like Luke and James’ will receive the compassionate care and support that is needed when facing a terminal illness.

On hearing the impact their fundraising will have, Luke said: “Raising that amount will make us feel very proud. It’s really meaningful to understand what the donations mean in real terms and knowing that it makes a difference to people is really important.

“It’s a great adventure and we can’t wait to get started! James is already talking about what we should do after this – John O’Groats to Land’s End 2026?”

You can follow Luke and James’ fundraising journey here.

Luke and James’ JustGiving page Cycle for St Luke’s

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