Father-daughter duo cycle raises £5,000 for Hospice

Thursday 26 October 2017

A father-daughter duo has raised £5,600 for Jersey Hospice Care after spending the summer cycling along the river Danube, covering a total of 1,800 miles, in 50 days.

David and Hanna Sharp set off for their cycling challenge in early June after what they describe a mid-life and quarter-life crisis.

The duo, who enjoy cycling "leisurely," embarked on what seems like a crazy challenge upon Hanna's idea. The 24-year-old started teaching autistic children a day after finishing university but after two years in the job, she realised she wanted to go travelling. She originally wanted to try and see every country in Europe but decided to settle for a cycle along the river Danube, from its source in Germany to the Black Sea. 

Her parents felt a bit concerned about some parts of the course and Hanna's mum, Marie, suggested that David, 58, cycle with Hanna for part of her journey. After looking at the distance, he however realised two weeks of holiday wouldn't be enough. While thinking about taking an extended holiday, Marie suggested he simply quit his job which he did, after a bad day at work ... and much thinking. His notice served, David and Hanna set off for Zurich in early June, which was an adventure in itself as David explains. 

Pictured: Hanna and David with their bike boxes in Switzerland.

"The first challenge was to get the bikes and panniers to London. Hanna was in the UK and I was in Jersey so it took a lot of organisation. I had to find boxes to put the bikes in. The weekend before we left, my wife and I were in London to see Elton John. Then we flew to Zurich with our boxes and bags, which we had to keep within the baggage allowance. Upon arrival I had to rebuild the bikes while Hanna was destroying the boxes and feeding them to a shredding machine. We got some funny looks from passers-by!"

Pictured: Hanna and David with a map showing the course followed by the river.

Once ready to go, the duo made their way to Donaueschingen in the Black Forest in Germany, the source of the Danube. From there they set off on an adventure that took them through Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Bulgaria and Romania. With the simple idea of completing the 1,800 miles before temperatures turned too cold, the duo took their time along the river, cycling an average of 60 miles a day and allowing plenty of time for visiting. Hanna says: "We visited everything that was in our book, castles, monasteries, churches. Each one of them was special. We also cycled through many nature parks." "It was quite beautiful to see the progression of the fields through the summer," adds David. "When we started it was quite green and we saw it change colour up until it was time for harvesting."

The duo also visited the Nuremberg complex where Hanna says she learnt more about the Nazis than when she was in school. David also took a trip down memory lane when they went to the Salt Mines in Salzburg, which he had visited at the age of six. "It was exactly as I remembered."

Pictured: Hanna and David met some unusual traveling companions on route.

Romania was a pleasant surprise for the both of them. "It needs more publicity. It is really beautiful and the countryside is impressive. We thought it was going to be one of the most difficult countries but it ended up being the most friendly. While staying in a hotel, we were invited to take part in a Romanian wedding reception with the chef being a local Masterchef! We also saw a lot of horse carriages, it was a step back in time."

Pictured: The father-daughter duo was blessed with good weather for their cycling trip.

With temperatures reaching 43 degrees in Serbia, one would expect tempers to flare more than once along the way. But it wasn't so. "Dad was good company," says Hanna. "I hate hills and it was only when we were going uphill that I would sort of take it out on him. Apart from that we had a really good time." David adds: "It was a really good experience. There were very few tensions and it was very pleasurable. We were also very fortunate with the weather, as it only rained three times in 50 days. Would I do another one? Yes!"

While the duo originally wanted to take on the 1,800 mile journey "just for the challenge," they were convinced by friends and relatives to seize the opportunity to raise funds for a charity. They chose Jersey Hospice Care as their beneficiary as they had previously cared for David's mum. "They looked after her so well that she left! She still lives with us now," says David. "It was a way to say thank you to them!" comment Hanna. "They do a good job and they deserve all the help they can get. They are always grateful to receive whatever money and you know your money is being put to good use. I saw first hand what they did and I wanted to give back what they gave us."

 Pictured: Hanna and David donning the Jersey Hospice Care colours in the Baltic Sea.

Hanna hoped to raise at least 2,000, a little more than a pound per mile cycled. They however went above and beyond their target and have raised £3,571 so far and their fundraising page is still open.

Since returning from Bucharest, which was another adventure in itself as the duo hadn't made any plans whatsoever for their return, Hanna has been working at St George's School before the ski season starts, while David found a new job. Their bikes have put been away for now but the pair is not ruling out the possibility of another long haul cycling journey. But they will have to agree on a course first.

Pictured: Hanna and David once slept in a converted barrel.

After doing West to East, Hanna is thinking about cycling North to South or possibly do a loop around Sweden, Finland, Norway, Estonia Russia and the Netherlands. As for David he is looking at a shorter journey, possibly from the Danube to the Atlantic Ocean. "But that would only be two weeks," says Hanna the avid globe-trotter.