David Mason pedalled from London to Lisbon, one of a series of fundraising events planned by Islington Cycling Club after fellow member James “Gino” Murphy was paralysed below the shoulders in a freak cycling accident.
“I was shocked by witnessing how my friend’s life was transformed in an instant,” David said. “Raising money for research into curing paralysis is one thing we can do to show our support for him.”
David’s 2,400 kilometre (1500 mile) route took him up cliffs overlooking the Seine, past Loire chateaux, and up to the high meseta of Spain, where he rode part of the Camino de Santiago and the verges were full of wildflowers. Two friends joined him for a few days in the south of France but most of the time he was riding alone and unsupported.
At times he was forced to ride on the hard shoulder of busy roads with lorries thundering past, while elsewhere he struggled to stay upright on stony cycle paths and sandy trails. He was hit by torrential rain and flooded roads in the Basque hills, and on the last few days he had to set off before dawn to avoid temperatures soaring to 37C.
“I’m thankful to be able to enjoy an adventure like this at the age of 64,” said David. “There were some tough challenges but I rode through beautiful landscapes, and discovered wonderful, historic cities. I sent daily updates and pictures so Gino and other friends could share the adventure with me.”
David rolled into the heart of Lisbon on 31 May 2025 after 23 days of cycling to be greeted by his family. By chance the city was setting up for another cycling event. “It felt like they had rolled out the red carpet for me,” – David.
Islington Cycling Club is fundraising for Spinal Research throughout 2025, and its “Team Gino” campaign kicked off with a club ride from London to Brighton. David’s ride takes the total to nearly £10,000.
The next event is in August, when five club members will take on the gruelling London-Edinburgh-London ride, seeking to cover 1,530 kilometres (950 miles) in 128 hours.
We are so grateful for the support of Islington Cycling Club. We will be cheering them on the whole way. If you would like to support Team Gino, please click below.
Team Gino
