Mel Nicholls is a GB Paralympian, wheelchair racer and World Record breaking Ultra endurance handcyclist, based in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire.
Crossing the start line from her home town on 7th August 2021 heading west, Mel plans to set two new Records for handcycling around the coast of mainland Britain.
With a GB team background, competing at London 2012 and Rio 2016, Mel has achieved worldrecord-breaking success on the track, and is continuing this inspiring, medal-winning career into endurance road racing.
Outside of competition and record-breaking challenges, Mel brings her love of adventure through her solo expeditions by bike, adaptive mountaineering and paddlesports. Her roles within youth work and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, alongside her work in education through sport and the outdoors, and her volunteer work with Youth Adventure Trust and as an operational search and rescue crew member and casualty care with Severn Area Rescue Association, Mountain Rescue England and Wales, carry through her values and what it is that drives Mel to inspire, empower and to educate, beyond barriers.
Mel is a speaker, an Ordnance Survey Ambassador supporting GetOutside - championing more people to get outside more often - through her work and outdoor education and leadership social enterprise projects; founded to support those facing barriers to getting active outside to find their way.
Mel’s positivity is core to who she is, and her motto has always been to ‘Dream Big’:
Following on from Mel’s World Record Breaking Britain End to End race in 2019, where she obliterated both the men’s and women’s handcycling world record times, taking nearly 4 days off the record, finishing in 6 days, 22 hours and 17 minutes, Mel is preparing to take on her next ultra endurance record-breaking race; handcycling around the coast of mainland Britain.
Mel will be looking to set two new records at completion of her latest performance challenge; to be the fastest handcyclist to cycle around Britain, and to take the title of the furthest distance ridden by a hand crank cycle - this record currently stands at 5421 km. The distance around the coast of Britain is in the region of 7725 km
Building on the format of Handcycle Britain - Mel’s Land’s End to John o’ Groats record-breaking ride which saw her handcycle an average of 160-200 kms a day, with the exception of her final day committing to more than 320 kms, Mel will look to ride from dawn and through dark each day, to complete the gruelling total distance in fastest known time.
As well as being 5 times the distance to cover, unlike her previous challenge Mel will not have a support crew on the road with her. Mel has chosen to take on this extreme race unsupported by vehicle back-up.
Supporting sustainable greener travel and championing journeying by bike for all, Mel will be connecting with communities as she passes and stops to refuel and rest, and encourage others to ride with her; a collective antidote to the critically damaging increase of social isolation through the Covid-19 pandemic.
Sharing this project will continue to provide a legacy to a wider audience in areas such as the female role-model, disability, environmental impact, and the greater benefits of the outdoors.
This crowd sourcing campaign aims to support Mel to continue setting and achieving performance challenges and in turn support her chosen charities.
Mel's Fundraising Pledge:
The focus of Race Around Britain is performance, however Mel will also use the challenge as an opportunity to raise awareness and to support her chosen cause of gynaecological cancer research. A cause personal to Mel and the lives of 21,000 women diagnosed with a gynaecological cancer each year.
As such, Mel pledges to donate 50% of funds raised from this Race Around Britain to this charity. Lead Sponsors Transmission Dynamics have pledged £1 per KM and are encouraging individuals and businesses alike to pledge what they can.