Newton Poppleford lad cycles for Sport Relief

Oliver, six, cycles 22 miles and raises �408.50 for Sport Relief

HE may be only six, but Oliver Smith from Newton Poppleford has amazing stamina.

On Saturday he cycled 22.6 miles from Exeter Quay to Dawlish in just under four hours, and raised a massive �408.50 for Sport Relief.

Dad Robert said: “Oliver watched a couple of the clips from the Sport Relief broadcast and became aware of the urgent need for medicine and then asked if we could set off straight away so there would be medicine for the sick children.”

Robert’s colleagues at Sainsbury’s Pinhoe Road store in Exeter, raised �200 for Oliver, and the rest came from friends who had read about his cycling bid.

“He was fine and he asked to do it again the next day, which I wasn’t so keen to do again,” he said.

Oliver has taken photos of his ride; mostly on level cycle paths, into Newton Poppleford Primary School where he is a pupil and got a round of applause for his achievement.

Robert and wife Gina accompanied Oliver on his ride, which, with regular stops, meant they were out all day.

When they stopped for lunch at an hotel, all Oliver wanted to do was ride his bike on the tennis court.

“Oliver does like cycling and was riding with stabilisers until they came off last summer. Since then he’s been whizzing around,” said dad.

Now, as a surprise, he will receive a brand new bike tomorrow (Saturday) from his parents to replace the one he has now outgrown.

“We are very proud of him and will be interested to see what he’d like to do when Sport Relief comes around again in two years’ time.”