Leeds fireman to cycle 343 miles in 24 hours in memory of each fire-fighter killed in 9/11 terror attack

Tom Else and his brother Patrick will start the epic ride at 4pm on Saturday September 11, the 20th anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Centre.

A total of 343 fire-fighters died as a result of their heroic actions that day, and each mile cycled will represent one of them with the monies raised through sponsorship and donations going to the Fire Fighters Charity.

Mr Else, 39, of Morley is a crew commander and second in charge at Stanningley Fire Station and has been a fireman for the last ten years, fulfilling a life-long ambition to join the Fire Service.

He has seen first-hand the work that the charity does which can range from mental health support, help in recovering from injury or illness, financial and legal advice, retirement and bereavement services. The charity works with all fire service personnel, not just front-line, and their families.

The charity bike ride has been planned to mark the 20th anniversary and raise much needed funds for the charity, which like many others over the last 18 months, has suffered a loss of funds caused by the pandemic.

Donate hereMr Else explained: "The reason it came about is because three years ago we tried for a world record, for the charity, for the longest game of rugby and had two attempts at it. The first one we did but the recording equipment did not work and we found out five weeks later that the first eight hours had not been recorded. We did it again the following year and got the record.

"A few of us that did that, came up with the idea of getting a game against the New York Fire Department and then COVID happened so we thought 'what else can we do?' I know the charity has had a tough time through COVID and not received the income it would have normally, so I spoke to my brother and we came up with this and that was it."

The duo admit they are "blokes on cycles" rather than out and out cyclists and have fallen off a fair few times. But, they have devised a 34 mile route around Retford, Doncaster Airport and Bawtry because it is flat, and will do 10 laps of the circuit.

While the idea is to remember the fire crews who perished in 9/11, the charity in the UK will have helped colleagues in London who themselves tackled mass tragedy at Grenfell in 2017.

Mr Else said: "I remember being at work and seeing it unfold (9/11). I was 18 or 19 and it was just a job I was doing at the time but I always wanted to be in the fire service. Since I joined, I have seen the charity and the work they do, it is a really good service. People ring 999 and for them that is the worst day of their lives but they don't think about the fire-fighters.

"Going back to 9/11, everybody you speak to in the job has absolute admiration for those and the same with Grenfell. It is the job that all of us do, but you never wish it to happen."