Galashiels 71-year-old getting on his bike to raise money for medics

Thom Veitch, 71, of Galashiels, on his exercise bike.

Thom Veitch isn’t expecting to match the £28.5m and counting amassed by the West Yorkshire-born 99-year-old, but he’s already within touching distance of his £400 target and he hasn’t even started yet.

Rather than walking around his garden 200 times or more like the record-breaking military veteran, known as Captain Tom, our Thom is getting on his bike, albeit an exercise cycle at his Kilnknowe Park home in Galashiels instead of the real thing, to raise money.

The Selkirk-born 71-year-old has challenged himself to do the equivalent of completing the 95-mile River Tweed cycleway from Biggar in South Lanarkshire to Berwick in Northumberland by pedalling three miles a day daily throughout May, throwing in increased resistance to replicate the hillier sections of the cross-country route.

Thom Veitch, 71, of Galashiels, hooked up to a dialysis machine.

Father-of-three Thom, married to Janet, needs haemodialysis three times a week at the Borders General Hospital in Melrose due to chronic renal failure, so he’s raising money for staff there, via the Difference, NHS Borders’ official charity, to thank them for looking after him.

Because of that condition, Thom, formerly an attendant at the Adam Purves Shell garage in Galashiels before ill health forced him to retire, is classed as a vulnerable person at high risk of severe illness from coronavirus.

That means he’s been advised to remain housebound except for his trips to hospital, stopping him keeping up a fitness regime previously including gym sessions and parkruns.

“I want to do something to give back to the dialysis unit and to help others like me,” he said.

“I’m missing meeting with others at the gym and getting support from fellow parkrunners just now, but already I’ve had lots of encouraging comments on my JustGiving page which will help me keep up the challenge and keep fit.”

Go to www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ThomVeitch for further details or to donate.

Staff nurse Jane Chalmers is among those caring for Thom, and she told us: “We depend on donations to buy little things that can make a big difference to patients – items like newspapers, cushions, TV headphones and hand-warmers.

“They also pay for aromatherapy massage and exercise support during dialysis.

“Thom has shown a great deal of determination and commitment to keep active despite health issues.

“He’s an inspiration to us all. I’ve no doubt he’ll be successful with this latest challenge and achieve a personal best time when he eventually returns to parkrunning.”