Law partner targeting next challenge after gruelling bike ride raises £5,000

A lawyer with a passion for fundraising has raised £5,000 for two charities close to her heart after completing her toughest challenge yet – a gruelling 400-mile bike ride across Brazil.

Helen Watson, partner and head of employment law at Chester-based legal firm Aaron & Partners, took six days to cover the 400-mile trek and had to contend with temperatures of up to 37 degrees.

The legal expert, who is also chair of the Institute of Directors-North Wales, was joined by a group of 40 other women for the challenge, which saw her complete the entire ride on a mountain bike.

She took in the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio, the Amazon rainforest and some of Brazil’s most rugged but stunning coastlines as she and the team battled through the humid conditions.

She’ll now split her fundraising total between Wirral-based children’s charity Claire House Hospice, and Women V Cancer, a fundraising partnership between Breast Cancer Care, Ovarian Cancer Action and Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust.

Watson said: “It was an incredible challenge for us all but one that was ultimately so rewarding. The terrain was often difficult and Brazil was extremely hilly, but the views and the sights were spectacular and really worth the pain to see them.

“The cycle up the dusty hills to see Christ the Redeemer was tough but undoubtedly one of the most magical moments of the trip.

“One of my fondest memories was the incredible, loud music that was played everywhere we went. It sounded like a mixture of Bob Marley and Meatloaf. It gave us a brilliant and memorable soundtrack to the trip.

“The most important thing though, is that we have raised a lot of money for two fantastic charities. Both are very important to me personally and I’m really proud to have been able to help them and support the wonderful work they both do.”

Watson’s latest challenge follows on from several marathons, half marathons and other bike treks in recent years, which have seen her cycle across India, Cuba, Vietnam and Cambodia.

She first embarked on her fundraising efforts for Women V Cancer in memory of a close friend who died from ovarian cancer back in 2011. Claire House Hospice also benefits from Watsoon’s endeavours and she’s supported the charity for more than ten years as a long-standing board member and latterly chairman.

Watson said: “I love these challenges and we’re raising so much money for fantastic causes so there’s no way I’ll be stopping now. We’re already planning what we can do next.”