A FORMER Launceston College pupil will in his own words ‘foolishly’ take on another epic bike ride to raise money for the Help for Heroes charity.

Bernie Verrills, 58, has already taken on two previous six-day mountain bike races, the Trans-Andes Challenge in 2013 and the Breck Epic in Colorado last year.

Besides those impressive accomplishments, the former policeman who now works as a self-employed landscape gardender, has cycled in events in Switzerland, Portugal, France and even as far down to Chile in South America and later this month (July 23-28) will take on another six-day adventure, this time in the Kootenay area of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. He is also considering doing the Douro Bike Race again in Portugal in September.

Bernie (below right) said: “I know it’s going to be really hard as it always is but I still aim to finish every stage as long as I am in one piece.”

In total he will cycle 229km over the course of the six stages, including time-trials and much longer events, with an average elevation climb of 1300 metres.

But what makes him motivated to take on such tests of endurance?

Bernie said: “I’ve always loved sport and I played rugby for the Cornish All Blacks as a kid before joining the Metropolitan Police in London in 1976.

“During my 30-year stay in the police, I represented the Met in judo, boxing and football but a freak rugby accident in 1992, damaged my knee and left me unable to play contact sport.

“That left me with a huge hole to fill, and decided to take up mountain biking as it was the only sport that gave me the buzz I craved.”

Since then he’s travelled far and wide, mountain biking, raising money for the Help for Heroes Charity, which has always inspired him.

His grandfathers were both in the military. One was in the Royal Navy while the other fought in the trenches during World War One and was told stories of the awful things that people had gone through.

Bernie said: “I’ve always had an interest in the military since a young age. Before I joined the police I wanted to join the marines in Plymouth but my mum (who still lives in Canworthy Water) wouldn’t let me so I ended up joining the Met Police in 1976.

“Also my grandfathers both were in the military and I believe that the lack of support servicemen and women get isn’t good so I decided to start raising money myself for Help for Heroes to help those who do return injured.”

Now living in Buckhurst Hill in Essex with his partner, Bernie typical working week in the summer consists of him working from 7am-7pm from Monday-Thursday while he usually works from 7-3 on a Friday, leaving him little time to train but last weekend he took part in the Peak District Pioneer; a 63-mile bike ride in the Peak District as his ‘warm-up’.

The cost of the trip to Canada alone will cost him in excess of £2,500, and although he knows he’s very unlikely to match that in terms of sponsorship, Bernie seems excited to raise as much money as he can.

If you feel like that you would like to donate to this cause, please visit Bernie’s Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Bernie-Verrills-ST6