Article Source: My Name'5 Doddie Foundation
Last Updated: 30 January 2024 14:52
From 1st to 8th March, a group of seven friends - including wine experts, owners and chefs from some of the UK’s best restaurants - will cycle over 2700 km from Edinburgh to Rome, climbing over 27,000 meters in altitude, all in aid of Motor Neurone Disease charity ‘My Name’5 Doddie Foundation’.
The cycle will begin at Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium, continuing through London, rural France and trailing the Apennine mountains of Italy before descending into the group’s final destination at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico. Riding in a continuous relay, through the night, elements and mountains, the team aims to complete the cycle by 5pm on 8th March - which will require maintaining an average speed of 17mph.
Brought together by a mutual drive of raising vital funds and awareness of this degenerative, incurable disease, the team includes Edinburgh native and Berry Bros. & Rudd Senior Buyer Davy Żyw, who was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) five years ago aged 30. Despite progressive onset of the condition, Żyw, a passionate cyclist, will join the team for the last leg of the journey from Sisteron to Rome. This is just one cycle undertaken by Żyw since his diagnosis: in 2020 he completed the North Coast 500 in just four days, and in 2022 he cycled the ‘High 5’, a 275 mile route over the five highest roads in Scotland, raising over £150,000.
Joining Żyw is his childhood friend James Porteous, owner of Edinburgh’s Electric Spirit Co; James Snowdon, owner of The Palmerston and co-owner of Lannan in Edinburgh; Seamus Sharkey, Head of Beverage at JKS restaurant group; Shaun Searley, Executive Chef at London’s Quality Chop House; Davy’s colleague at Berry Bros. & Rudd, Matt Jones, who has planned the entire route; and Dubai-based Greg Shevill who will be flying over to complete the challenge.
The cycle forms part of My Name’5 Doddie’s wider All Roads Lead to Rome campaign, with over 50,000 participants expected to take part throughout the year.
My Name’5 Doddie was set up by Scottish rugby legend Doddie Weir who was diagnosed with MND in 2017, and later passed away in 2022. The charity is committed to a world free of MND and has already raised over £11m to support research projects and treatments - and ultimately work towards finding a cure. They also focus on raising awareness of the disease and being a voice for people with MND and their families.
Details for how to support the cycle can be found at justgiving.com/team/cowboystew. You can follow the group’s journey live at @rideformnd.
@rideformnd
@myname5doddie
@doddie_aid
Image: James Snowdon, Davy Żyw and James Porteous.
Image credit: Tim Edgeler
Marine & Lawn Hotels & Resorts Collection have launched new offerings designed to inspire cosy autumn getaways and early festive escapes across Scotland.
READ MORE
Mowgli Street Food restaurants have launched their special Christmas menus - a vibrant celebration of Indian home-style cooking, made for sharing.
READ MORE
The Superlative Collection are taking over Glasgow's iconic Princes Square, on Friday 21st November, to host a charity fashion show in collaboration with Smart Works Scotland.
READ MORE
Silverburn, Scotland's leading retail and leisure destination, will welcome Scotland’s first KENJI store this December.
READ MORE
Aldi is inviting schools, parents and guardians in Glasgow to sign up to its Get Set to Eat Fresh programme, which teaches children about the importance of healthy eating.
READ MORE
Nominations are open for the highly anticipated Scottish Excellence Awards 2026, a celebration of Scotland's hospitality, foodservice and tourism sectors.
READ MORE
Leading furniture retailer Sterling Home is lighting up the festive season with a generous donation of Christmas decorations and furniture to children’s hospices and hospitals across Scotland.
READ MORE
Dobbies is hosting a free-to-attend monthly gardening workshop on Sunday 2 November, for children across the country to discover how they can encourage winter birds into the garden.
READ MORE
Two of Glasgow's most loved dining spots, Rickshaw & Co. and Raja Rani Restaurant, have achieved a remarkable double victory at the Asian Restaurant Awards 2025.
READ MORE
Omniplex Cinemas has announced the acquisition of Glasgow's iconic Renfrew Street cinema, the tallest cinema in the world, marking an exciting new chapter for the venue.
READ MORE
Glasgow's homegrown streetwear brand, FORTY Clothing, is marking a major milestone in style with a series of creative design events for its customers across its stores tomorrow.
READ MORE
The Roald Dahl Story Company today announces the full cast for the wickedly funny family musical based on Roald Dahl's The Enormous Crocodile!
READ MORE
To celebrate, Innis & Gunn is hosting 'Sunset Sessions' at its three Taprooms in Glasgow and Edinburgh, with live trad music performances kicking off at 4.50pm - the exact time of sunset!
READ MORE
80,000+ visitors expected, with opening weekend sold out, as itison unveils epic new images!
READ MORE
Iconic Glasgow west end restaurant, Five March, is teaming up with Edinburgh Gin to mark the end of the harvest season with a Samhain celebration feast.
READ MORE
A celebration of being bold and gloriously yourself, this year’s Citizens Theatre production of Beauty and The Beast is a family-friendly and funny new take on the classic fairytale.
READ MORE
As part of a major 'glow up' for the brand at Glasgow Fort, River Island has relocated its existing store within the centre to a larger, more modern unit, located between Superdry and BPerfect.
READ MORE
The world's first solar power Observation Wheel is set to be unveiled at Glasgow's Winter Wonderland at St Enoch Square!
READ MORE
Seven exciting retailers are set to join city centre shopping destination Buchanan Galleries ahead of the festive season.
READ MORE
This spooky season, take a stroll down the yellow brick road and into The Ivy Buchanan Street, Glasgow as it transforms into The Ivy Emerald City.
READ MORE
The public are urged to take part in the Scottish Government's consultation on planning laws, warning that the changes could put the country's live music venues and pubs at risk.
READ MORE
Dive into Autumn with Pizza Punks' all-new menu featuring the 'Nduja Mac Daddy, Smash Burger Pizza, Double Pepperoni & Burrata and more!
READ MORE
Strathblane artists are set to captivate the community with a charity art exhibition this weekend, aiming to raise funds for Strathcarron Hospice, Denny.
READ MORE
Silverburn has been named as 'Retail Destination of the Year' at the 2025 SCEPTRE Awards, the Oscars of retail, recognising its exceptional performance and contribution to the UK's retail industry.
READ MORE
CBeebies megastar Justin Fletcher has announced that his brand-new live theatre tour Justin Time To Rock will now continue into Spring 2026, with final tour dates just announced.
READ MORE
Scotland's leading retail and leisure destination, Silverburn, is the place to be for a selection of fang-tastic Halloween events this October!
READ MORE
The full cast have been announced for the UK and Ireland tour of Priscilla Queen of the Desert, including Strictly champion Kevin Clifton!
READ MORE
Deck the Halls unveils inaugural event in Glasgow in partnership with National Trust for Scotland.
READ MORE
Fans bowled over as celebrities and sports stars help set new record for world's largest bowls lesson as Glasgow 2026 ticket fever builds!
READ MORE
The Yard, Foxlake and Wild Shore Dundee launch official partnership to deliver a year-round programme of inclusive activities, training, and support across three regions of Scotland.
READ MORE