Retired vicar cycles old Spanish route for Berkshire charity
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The Reverend Phil White, 70, is cycling from from Bilbao to Santiago
A retired vicar is cycling a pilgrimage route through northern Spain in support of a charity which helps people with complex autism.
The Reverend Phil White will cycle 420 miles on the Camino del Norte to raise funds for the Prior's Court charity based in Hermitage, Berkshire.
The charity provides education and residential care for young people, including Mr White's two stepsons.
He said that the journey was also a way to "reflect on a new challenge".
Mr White, who just turned 70, is cycling from from Bilbao to Santiago.
His fitness journey started in 2021, after his diagnosis with type 2 diabetes motivated him to start a remission challenge, "leading to me buying an e-bike in 2022".He called the ride "partly a retirement project" in support of the charity that does "such a brilliant job with young people with extreme autism and other disabilities".
His two stepsons are among the young people with complex autism supported by Prior's Court.
'Daily escapades'
The Camino del Norte, also called the Northern Way, is an almost 519-mile route across Spain, crossing four regions - the Basque Country, Cantabria, Asturias, and Galicia.
It takes pilgrims multiple stages to cover it by walking or cycling.
Some of the highlights along Camino Del Norte include seaside city of San Sebastian and the royal palace in Santander
Mr White will begin his journey on 29 August and plans to finish on 13 September.
"You will be able to follow me on social media and see my route/daily escapades/blisters and the beautiful scenery as well as meet the friends I encounter along the way," he said.
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