A WINCHESTER man is set to 'Pedal to Paris' in memory of his late father. 

Following months of training, Paul Fish will join more than 200 other cyclists at Eltham Palace in London on Thursday, September 1, and will finish in the French capital on Monday, September 5.

Mr Fish is taking on the Royal British Legion’s cycling fundraiser to raise money for the Armed Forces charity.

During the challenge, the 51-year-old will cycle almost 300 miles through London, Kent and Northern France before finally reaching the finishing line, where a service of Remembrance will be held at the Arc de Triomphe.

Pedal to Paris is the only other cycling event next to the Tour de France, for which the Champs-Élysées is closed to traffic for the cyclists to cross onto the Arc de Triomphe.

The event holds particular significance to Mr Fish as he’s taking on the mammoth ride in his dad’s name.

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His father, David Fish, served in the RAF for approximately 40 years from the 1960’s to the nearly 2000s. He was part of the Signals and Communications department, serving in Cyprus, Berlin, and North Africa.

Hampshire Chronicle: Paul Fish (left) and his late father, David Paul Fish (left) and his late father, David

Mr Fish said: “I’m taking on Pedal to Paris partly in my dad’s name. He died at the beginning of Covid, so we didn’t see a lot of him towards the end and none of us really got to say goodbye. He was so proud of his service, so this is for him.

“I think the Legion does a fantastic job and I’m really pleased to be doing something that spreads the word about the work that the RBL does beyond the Poppy Appeal.”

Mr Fish is hoping to raise at least £5,000 for the RBL, the nation’s biggest Armed Forces charity, which delivers through life support to Serving personnel, veterans and their families.

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Simon O’Leary, director of the Poppy Appeal at the RBL, said: “We are very grateful to Paul for taking on the Pedal to Paris challenge. It really is an incredible experience, and we wish him all the best for the ride. Apart from the training that goes into preparing for the event, the fundraising that he is undertaking on behalf of the RBL will help those we support live on to a more hopeful future.”

Pedal to Paris is the UK’s longest running charity bike ride between the two capital cities. Since it started in 1996, the event has raised more than £8 million for the RBL, helping support its vital work with the Armed Forces Community.

If you wish to sponsor Mr Fish, visit: Paul Fish Pedal to Paris Fundraising.