Galloway grandmother, 87, takes on bike ride with a twist in memory of her children
The grandmother will have her grandson by her side throughout the challenge.
An 87-year-old woman whose three children died in the space of four years is taking on a cycling challenge with a twist to raise funds for charity.
Mavis Paterson, from Wigtownshire in Dumfries and Galloway, will be cycling non-stop on a ferry ride between Scotland and Ireland on Friday.
The grandmother’s bike will be fixed to a static frame on the boat when it leaves Cairnryan, in her home region. Ms Paterson, known as Granny Mave, will then pedal non-stop over the two-and-a-half hour crossing until it reaches Belfast before doing the same on the return journey - all in the company of her 25-year-old grandson William.
“I’ve never cycled on a ferry before, so I thought I’d give it a go,” said Ms Paterson, who has been training for the coming challenge in her kitchen every day. “I have also been training in the gym. I am their oldest member.
“Someone told me to try out health drinks during training, but I haven’t bothered with those. I have a cup of tea on the bike sometimes. I can manage that.”
The challenge is nothing new to the adventurer who, in 2019, became the oldest ever woman to cycle the entire length of Britain. She raised more than £75,000 and secured a place in the Guinness World Records aged 81. She has since been taken over by Gina Harris who, at the age of 82, completed the same journey in June 2022.
Just the year before, after turning 80, and despite having an operation for a new knee and hip, Ms Paterson trained for six months to take on a 24-hour cycle and raised £4,000.
In 2023, aged 85, she cycled 1,000 miles across Scotland and was formally recognised by the Scottish Parliament for her epic challenge during which she raised £74,000 for Macmillan. She has fundraised for almost 20 years, cycling across America, Canada and climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.
It perhaps comes as no surprise that this year, Ms Paterson was awarded the British Empire Medal for her efforts for charity over the years, including abseiling and cycling as a senior.
Speaking to the Scotsman, Ms Paterson said she hoped to raise more funds for Macmillan with her coming trip. The ride, as with her other adventures, will also be in memory of her three children who all died in their 40s.
One of her sons, Sandy, died following a heart attack in 2012. Her daughter, Katie, died the following year after contracting viral pneumonia. Her other son, Bob, was killed in an accident in 2016.
Ms Paterson also lost her husband to a heart attack, and her mother and sister to breast cancer.
“I lost my complete family,” she said. “They died one after the other. It something that is too difficult to even think about, they’ve all gone.
“So, I cycle for my late children as well as for Macmillan cancer.”
Ms Paterson said she took up cycling in her 50s. She said she had always been more of a runner until she started to have problems with her knees.
“When my knees were giving me trouble, I thought cycling would be better,” she said.
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