Three athletes from the Special Olympics Surrey Cycling Club are preparing for one of the biggest long-distance cycling challenges of the year, the RideLondon-Essex 100.
Taking place on Sunday 26 May, athletes Ben Jacob (32), Hannah Kemp (26) and Tom Kelsall (20) will all participate in the 100-mile event, which starts at Victoria Embankment and heads out deep into the Essex countryside, before returning to central London for an iconic finish over Tower Bridge.
Based in Redhill, Ben has a huge passion for cycling and trains every Sunday with the Special Olympics Surrey club, having been a member since it was formed 10 years. Ben, who was born with Aspergers Syndrome, was selected to ride for Team Special Olympics GB at the Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi, where he won gold medals in the 10K Time Trial and 5K Road Race, as well a silver in the 5K Time Trial. This will be his third RideLondon-Essex100 event, having also participated in 2022 and 2023.
Hannah, who has moderate learning difficulties and is high functioning autistic, is participating in the RideLondon-Essex100 for the first time as a solo rider, having ridden with her Dad Jon on a tandem last year. Based near to Dorking, Hannah also competed at the Abu Dhabi 2019 Special Olympics World Games, but in athletics. However, she placed a bigger focus on cycling following the lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 and rides up to three times each week. She’s been part of the Special Olympics GB family since 2012, after being inspired by a television documentary about the movement.
Dorking-based Tom was born with Koolen de Vries Syndrome, which causes Developmental Language Disorder and learning difficulties. However, his sporting journey is even more remarkable considering his diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes at the age of 9. Tom has cycled for 10 years but focused on the sport after he was sadly excluded from a mainstream football club in 2014. He joined Special Olympics Surrey Cycling club after lockdown and as a fanatical cyclist has completed multiple long-distance challenges, including the RideLondon-Essex100 in 2022 and 2023 and the Majorca 225 last year. He is also a member of Team Novo Nordisk, which is an all-diabetic cycling team.
Mark Browne, Head Coach at Special Olympics Surrey, said: “It’s an outstanding achievement for anyone to complete a 100-mile cycling event and we’re incredibly proud of Ben, Hannah and Tom for stepping forward to complete this event.
“By participating in such a physically demanding challenge, they’re breaking barriers and changing stereotypes, showing everyone that people with an intellectual disability can achieve anything if they are given the opportunity and support.
“All three of them have been on incredible journeys by getting involved in the Special Olympics movement and have great stories to tell. We’re looking forward to following their progress through the RideLondon-Essex100.”
Special Olympics GB is the UK’s largest provider of all-ability sports training and competition for children and adults with an intellectual disability. Across its 98 accredited clubs, regular opportunities to participate are provided for more than 6,600 athletes, which are delivered by a devoted team of 3,800 volunteers.