A KENDAL woman has been praised by St John’s Hospice after completing a thousand-mile cycle challenge and for raising hundreds of pounds for the organisation.

Joy Knowles, from Docker near Kendal, cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats to support the hospice.

The total route saw her cycle 1001 miles over a two-week period, covering on average between 70-80 miles every day of her challenge.

To prepare for the incredible task ahead Joy did 1,500 miles of training around Kendal, as well as completing the Sustrans Coast and Castle route, Hadrian’s Wall and cycling to Blackpool to ‘Ride the Lights’.

Joy said “I wanted to do this as a personal challenge and to raise money for St John’s Hospice.

“I cycled through some lovely parts of Britain and up some very steep gradients, mostly in fine weather until we reached Tebay, where we had to endure gusting winds of up to 80 miles an hour and rain."

Joy hoped to raise over £1,000 for the charity but exceeded her target and reached £1,500.

In the past, Joy’s adventures have seen her take on the ‘Hiking the Himalayas’ challenge and cycling 260 miles around the Grand Canyon to Las Vegas.

Both challenges were done for St John’s Hospice.

She added: “I always want to support the hospice because they do such an amazing job. They rely on people to donate and it just shows how much the hospice means to the community as so many people donated.

“I’ve done a few things for them over the years with friends. My friends husband passed away so we did a charity event for her seven years ago.

“This time I just had this crazy idea to do the Lands’ End challenge and my friend just said.

“I have no plans to do anything next but I’m sure I’ll think of something for the future.

“This is such a supportive community and we all know someone who has been helped by St John’s. It’s very close to home for so many people and I like to support something local.”

For donations, please visit justgiving.com/fundraising/stjohns-joyknowles-lejog.