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Kippax man takes on charity motorbike challenge
When Kippax's John Draper came round from surgery on a brain tumour, getting onto a Harley Davidson motorbike was the first thing on his mind.
Ten years on John, 50, is taking up a mammoth motorbiking challenge – albeit on his BMW machine.
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To mark the 10th anniversary of his first operation, today John is taking on a Three Bridges Challenge.
He is aiming to ride across the Humber, Forth and Severn Bridges and return to Leeds in just 24 hours.
The feat will cover about 950 miles the length of the country and raise cash for brain tumour charity Andrea's Gift.
Mr Draper had been feeling unwell for several years before his diagnosis.
Medics told him it was a brain tumour.
Doctors told him they must operate to remove it and he underwent surgery on New Year's Eve 1998.
Afterwards he need a year of work from his job as a local government
officer with Leeds City Council.
When he got his driving licence back he decided to go back to riding a motorbike, which he'd given up years earlier.
"As I was coming out of the anaesthesia my first words were 'can I have my Harley now?'" he said.
However four years later his tumour returned and he needed a second operation.
Then four years ago it was found to have become active again and Mr Draper underwent radiotherapy to slow its growth.
John and five friends were setting of from Ferrybridge this morning and hoping to be home tomorrow morning.
The team are aiming to raise 5,000 for Andrea's Gift.
* To sponsor John, log on to: www.justgiving.com/johndraper and for more on Andrea's Gift, visit: www.andreas-gift.org.uk
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Weather for Leeds
Saturday 19 May 2012
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