Two brothers from York have completed an epic 220-mile charity cycle ride from Leeds United’s Elland Road Stadium in Leeds to Harrow School in Middlesex.
Tianyi and Jinyi Zhou raised more than £7,500 to tackle educational inequality in the UK.
The proceeds from this marathon three-day ride are being split between the Leeds United Foundation, the charity arm of Leeds United, and Harrow School, where the two brothers are pupils. 65 per cent goes to the Foundation and 35 per cent to Harrow.
The charity ride, named the Field of Dreams, took three days to complete, with overnight stays at Nottingham and Milton Keynes.
Tianyi explained: “We originally set a target of £5,000 but, thanks to the generosity of so many people, we smashed that. It was a challenging experience, with extremely hot weather and a puncture or two along the way, but we were delighted and proud to complete our ride without serious incident and in good time.
“Educational inequality is an issue that is very close to both our hearts and we trust our cycle ride has raised awareness of this vital cause, as well as much-needed money.
“By raising money for the Leeds United Foundation, we are supporting their continuous efforts to provide education and life-changing experiences for children of diverse backgrounds. The Foundation uses the power of football to enhance the lives of people across our region through opportunities in sport, education, and healthier lifestyles.
“We are aware that in 2023/24 the Foundation supported 70,000 beneficiaries from its 25 programmes, so we are extremely committed to play our part to help the Foundation continue this support.”
Vicky Conning, Fundraising and Events officer for the Leeds United Foundation, commented: “We are so grateful to Tianyi and Jinyi for undertaking this gruelling cycle ride. It took a lot of courage and stamina, and they proved to be two very brave and committed young men.
“The money they have raised will help fund the Foundation’s amazing Primary Choices programme which will be hosted at Elland Road. The programme is for Year 5s and 6s, empowering and enabling opportunities for young people to discuss themes around making positive choices about their lives and futures and the consequences of negative choices.
“This will be delivered through interactive, discussion-based workshops with key themes that are prevalent in today’s society. This includes, just to name a few, anti-social and criminal behaviour, knife crime, gangs and grooming and addiction. Pupils will walk in the footsteps of the Leeds United players whilst receiving an exclusive tour of Elland Road stadium.
“Over the past three years, the Leeds United Foundation has delivered Primary Choices sessions to 214 Primary Schools, 796 sessions and to 23,384 young people,” added Vicky.
Jinyi continued: “Meanwhile, we also raised money for Harrow School’s community. Harrow has provided us with our second home, where we learn and relax. Our house West Acre has provided ample opportunity and support for us and we are keen to enable others to enjoy the privileges we have had.”
The boys added: “This was a massive stamina test for us, but buoyed by the amazing support we received and the causes we were supporting, we had to complete the ride. There was simply no alternative.”
If you would like to support Tianyi and Zhou, please visit their Just Giving page on https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/Fieldofdreamsride
For more information on the Foundation’s Primary Choices campaign, please contact primarychoices@leedsunited.com.”
