Scots biker in epic 3,200 mile challenge to honour pal who died from 'silent killer'

A Scots biker is gearing up for an epic 3,225-mile challenge to raise funds for a prostate cancer charity in memory of his friend who died following a battle with the "silent killer".

Wayne Clarke, an air traffic control officer at Aberdeen Airport, has been inspired to ride in memory of tragic pal Alan, who passed away in May last year.

The 57-year-old began to feel unwell just months after taking early retirement. He was later diagnosed with stage four prostate cancer.

Wayne, also 57 and from from Inverurie, will be joined by three friends as they ride from Aberdeen to every National Air Traffic Service (NATS) airport control tower across the UK and one in Gibraltar.

As reported by Aberdeen Live, he said: “When Alan took ill, I asked him what was on his bucket list, and he said he'd never been on the back of a bike. So, I took him out around Rothiemurchus, up to the ski centre at Cairngorm, and he really enjoyed it.

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"And it kind of flipped a switch for me that, you know, I couldn't do anything for him but maybe I could do something for him in his memory." Wayne added that he hopes their efforts will not only raise funds for the charity but also awareness of the disease.

He added: “Prostate cancer is a silent killer. It's a horrible, horrible thing to watch. I told my mate I loved him before he went. That's what we need to start doing. We need to start looking after one another as well."

"Our (campaign) is not just aimed at people to go and get checked out. We're also trying to raise awareness of the impact on families and the partners of those affected.

"We all love our mates, and we should tell them - because that's the one thing I've taken away from this."

Mr Clarke will be joined on the ride by fellow NATS workers Richard Fell, Shaun Bellairs-Wray and Harvey McVicar, who all work at Swanwick Centre in Hampshire.

The trip is scheduled to start from Aberdeen Airport on 14 April, winding its way across the UK before a long ferry to Spain and then on to Gibraltar.

The bikers are aiming to finish their ride back in the UK, at NATS' corporate headquarters in Whiteley, Hampshire, on 30 April. And while they are hoping for good weather the team are "expecting to get wet" - especially on long stretches of up to 700 miles.

He added: "The weather can also slow you down and make everything longer, so we're expecting to get wet. But we've got really good kit."

The team have had plenty of support for their fundraising adventure, with Brittany Ferries waiving the ferry costs to and from Spain, and backing from British Superbike racing team OMG Racing, Ducati and Arai Helmet.

And thanks to the James Bond stunt coordinator neighbour of one of the riders, Triumph Motorcycles has loaned the four bikes the men will be riding on.

Stunt coordinator Lee Morrison, who lives next door to Mr Fell, worked with Daniel Craig on all five of his James Bond films and was the stunt coordinator behind the famous motorbike jump in No Time To Die.

He is also a brand ambassador for Triumph Motorcycles, and was able to put the company and the fundraisers in touch with one another.

Mr Clarke, is most looking forward to arriving in Gibraltar, where the fundraisers will be met by friends. He said: "That's going to be the highlight, I think."

He thanked all those who have donated so far and has called for a national prostate cancer screening programme to be implemented to help save lives.

The BigTour, 24 in 2024 will raise funds for the Solidarity Wings Fund Aerobility and Prostate Cancer UK. To find out more and make a donation, visit their website.

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