It all began over a pint with former Scotland rugby star Kenny Logan.
Now, with the 2023 Rugby World Cup on the horizon, Carbon Financial managing director Gordon Wilson is caught up in a race against time to ensure he’s fit for a gruelling 700-mile challenge supporting the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.
Gordon, who heads-up the Carbon Financial team with offices in Perth, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow and London, has been clocking-up hundreds of miles on Perthshire roads in his spare time to ensure he’s ready for another demanding fundraiser.
Three times European Cup winner Kenny, who was capped 70 times for Scotland, has drawn-up ambitious plans to support the Foundation set-up as friend and international teammate Doddie Weir bravely battled the motor neurone disease which finally claimed his life last year.
Kenny Logan’s World Cup Challenge aims to raise £555,555.
Gearing up for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation challenge
Gordon, 55, said: “I suppose my involvement can be traced back to a casual conversation I had in a Grassmarket pub around Christmas when Kenny outlined this crazy idea he had to support the Foundation.
“Kenny explained he was working up plans with support from World Rugby to put together a group to cycle and walk from the Scottish Gas Murrayfield Stadium to Paris with the match ball for the Scotland v Ireland game at Stade de France in Paris on October 7.
“I was well aware that Kenny and his sports marketing agency had already raised vast amounts of money for the Foundation so I knew he was deadly serious.
“I’d previously been involved in a similar challenge in which a 100-strong peloton led by former Scotland captain Rob Wainwright cycled round-the-clock for 48 hours – in all weathers – to deliver the ball from Edinburgh to Cardiff for the Scotland-Wales Six Nations match in February last year.
“I joined a relay team which included Deacon Blue drummer Dougie Vipond. Others taking part included Mark Beaumont, the round-the-world record breaker, so as an occasional weekend cyclist I was well out of my league.
“I was pretty sure I wouldn’t be repeating it but how wrong could I be!”
Star-studded line up for the fundraiser
Inspired by Kenny’s single-minded determination to rope in a 20-strong band of friends and business contacts, Gordon signed-up for a challenge which has also tempted celebrities like Ally McCoist, Jimmy Nesbitt, Kirsty Gallacher, Kenny’s wife Gabby Logan and one-time special forces soldier and adventurer Jason Fox, of SAS: Who Dares Win fame.
“When I agreed to take part in Kenny’s challenge there seemed to be plenty of time to train and get in shape – but all of a sudden, with the Scotland squad being announced recently, the start date is rapidly closing in,” said Gordon, from Dunning.
“So I have, quite literally, got on my bike to step-up my fitness levels and begun to help with the fundraising effort.
“My plan is to cycle every stage, which means back-to-back days clocking-up anything between 80 and 110 miles.
“Doddie knew the incredible fundraising effort he inspired would be too late to help him, but it was always his wish to support other sufferers affected by this dreadful condition.”
Kenny, who has recovered from a prostate cancer scare, begins his challenge on October 1.
Donations can be made at Gordon Wilson is fundraising for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation (justgiving.com).
