KIERAN and Shaun Sweeney are all set to pedal their way into the record books – by boat.

And the Whitehaven brothers are confident it will not be a case of sink or swim as they ride the ocean waves all the way to sunny Barbados.

Tomorrow from Puerto De Morgan in Gran Canaria they’ll set out on an Atlantic Ocean Challenge in their ‘home-built’ 22ft long carbon fibre coated plywood pedalo craft. The plan is to pedal 3192 miles in 32 days to set up a world record and at the same time raise £50,000 for Chuf – the Children’s Heart Unit Fund.

Baby Lydia Rose Sayle is their inspiration to complete a daunting endurance challenge.

Lydia, 18 months old, lost a brave battle for life after a heart transplant. Her parents, Gary and Heather, are friends of the brothers.

“Everything they went through is the only motivation we need,” said Kieran.

“We’re attempting something nobody’s ever done before as pairs.

“It will be mentally and physically tough but we know what we have to do and we are determined to achieve our mission.

“On paper we are well capable of going the 32 days but even though our boat is enclosed and there are ventilation fans in the cockpit it’s still going to be hot.”

Heading south from Gran Canaria towards the trade wins and currents the lads will turn west and set course for Barbados which they plan to reach on Christmas Day – or sooner.

They will be monitored practically every pedal of the way by the Ocean Rowing Association and Guinness with hourly reports of their position.

Edgar’s motor dealers has donated a car to raffle as part of the £50,000 target.

A Cumbrian dad is pedalling 3,000 miles to raise money for a children's hospital unit which gave his daughter a new heart.

Sadly, little Lydia Rose Sayle died last Christmas when she was just 18-months-old, six months after receiving a heart transplant from the unit at Newcastle's Freeman hospital.

Her dad Gary, together with friend Kieran Sweeney, of Whitehaven, are taking part in a challenge later this year to raise £50,000 for the Children's Heart Unit Fund at the hospital.

It is currently under threat of closure and patients and their families are battling to keep it open. Consultation ends today.

The proposals could potentially see Cumbrian children having to travel to Leeds, Liverpool or even London for surgery.

"We want to raise awareness to help other families in the future," said Kieran.

"The unit is under threat and the loss of that would affect families from the whole of the north of England."

The threat to the Freeman comes as a result of the NHS Safe and Sustainable review. It says that there are currently too many hospitals in England carrying out children's heart operations with teams that are too small. Instead, it argues that fewer centres with bigger staff teams would make surgery safer.

It wants to reduce the total number from 11 to six or seven and has come up with four possible options.

In three of these, Newcastle would remain open. However in option four it would close in favour of Leeds. People have until today to say which option they would prefer, with a final decision expected in autumn.

Kieran and Gary, of Moor Row, are undertaking an ambitious 3,000 mile challenge to pedal a boat from Gran Canaria to Barbados in November to raise funds for the unit.

The boat was designed by Kieran and Stuart Quinn. Also on the team is Michael Walker.

They are hoping to break five world records along the way, including the human-powered record and fastest pedalo.

Kieran is confident they will succeed and a five-month training programme is now underway. The challenge and the boat – which has been officially named Lydia Rose – was launched at Whitehaven's festival weekend.

The pedalo team went over to the Newcastle unit to talk to staff and families last weekend.

To learn more about the challenge, the heart unit campaign and how to donate go to www.oceanpedalchallenge.co.uk

First published at 11:27, Friday, 01 July 2011

Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk

THERE are just a couple of days left to try and help save a specialist children's heart unit which cares for many Copeland youngsters.

The unit at Freeman Hospital, Newcastle, is under threat of closure and many local people are trying to help raise awareness about it and campaign to keep it open.

A simple free text from members of the public may be enough to help save the service before consultation ends on July 1.

The proposals could potentially see Cumbrian children having to travel as far as Leeds, Liverpool or even London for surgery.

Kieran Sweeney, of Whitehaven, and his friend Gary Sayle, are taking part in a massive challenge later in the year to try and raise £50,000 for the Children's Heart Unit Fund (CHUF) at the hospital.

Gary sadly lost his daughter, Lydia Rose, shortly before Christmas after she had received a heart transplant at the unit in July last year.

"We want to raise awareness to help other families in the future," said Kieran. "The unit is under threat and the loss of that would affect families from the whole of the North of England."

The threat to the Freeman comes as a result of the NHS Safe and Sustainable review. It says that there are currently too many hospitals in England carrying out children's heart operations with teams that are too small. Instead, it argues that fewer centres with bigger staff teams would make surgery safer.

It wants to reduce the total number from 11 to six or seven and has come up with four possible options.

In three of these, Newcastle would remain open. However in option four it would close in favour of Leeds. People have until July 1 to say which they would prefer, with a final decision expected in autumn.

Kieran and Gary are undertaking an ambitious 3,000 mile challenge in a pedal boat from Gran Canaria to Barbados in November to raise funds for the unit.

The boat was designed by Kieran and Stuart Quinn. Also on the team is Michael Walker.

They are hoping to break five world records along the way, including the human- powered record and fastest pedalo.

Kieran is confident they will succeed and a five-month training programme is now under way. The challenge and the boat – which has been officially named Lydia Rose – was launched at the festival weekend.

The pedalo team last Saturday went over to the Newcastle unit to talk to staff and families.

To learn more about the challenge, the heart unit campaign and how to donate go to: www.oceanpedalchallenge.co.uk

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk

TWO young men from the Whitehaven area are set to test themselves to the limits of endurance by pedalling 3,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean.

For Kieran Sweeney and a pedal partner (still to be decided) the phenomenal task is to pedal the 3,000 miles in 32 days and set up three world records in doing so.

Spurring them on will be steely determination to make waves for charity.

Chuf – the Children's Heart Unit Fund – and Help for Heroes stand to benefit from the £50,000 they aim to raise.

Inspiring the challenging endurance expedition is the tragic death of baby Lydia Rose Sayle.

Lydia, 18 months old, lost a brave battle for life shortly before last Christmas, after a heart transplant six months earlier.

Kieran said: "Lydia's parents, Gary and Heather, are good friends. Everything they went through is the only motivation we need for this challenge, along with the tremendous support they received from nurses and doctors."

Gary, along with Steven O'Neill, Albert Quinn, Kurt Olstram and Michael Walker, are in the team which has helped design and build the 22ft long carbon fibre coated plywood craft to make the arduous Atlantic crossing.

"It will be mentally and physically tough, but we know what we have to do and we are determined to do it," said Kieran

"We've done nothing like this before but, rest assured, we are getting all the right preparation and training for us to do it well.

"As we won't be setting out until the end of the year we will have plenty of time to raise more money in donations and sponsorships.

"If we achieve what we are setting out to achieve then I hope we can also meet our target of raising £50,000, it's all for charity."

June 19 is a big day, this is when the Atlantic ocean challenge will be officially launched with the home-built Whitehaven 'pedalo craft' going on show to raise awareness and support as part of the Whitehaven Festival.

Six months later it's all systems go, aided by some balmy Caribbean weather.

Says Kieran: "We'll be leaving Puerto De Morgan in Gran Canaria, initially heading south west towards the trade winds and currents, we'll then turn west and set a course for Barbados.

"Our boat will be entirely self sufficient having solar panels on board to generate electricity and actually power a water-maker to desalinate the ocean water for us to drink.

"Also all the food we need for the crossing will be carried on board along with all other equipment as we intend to cross unsupported, with no help or re-supply from any outside sources once leaving Puerto De Morgan.

"Once departed we'll start an intense two-hour-on two- hour-off shift rotation of pedalling (and sleeping) for the full journey. We are well up for it, there are world records to be made and, just as importantly, great causes to support."

Published by http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk