Royal Navy veteran inspires cancer-surviving daughter to tackle London cycle challenge
Inspired by her Royal Navy veteran father, a three-time breast cancer survivor will take part in a London cycle race.
Judith Kippax, 59, will cycle 100 miles alongside her father, Brian Hygate, 85, the oldest participant in the 2023 Ford RideLondon event, as well as her husband, Paul Kippax, 52.
The Royal Navy veteran, who has completed the Essex event twice before, says she "gets her endurance capabilities from her dad".
Mr Hygate, who is based in Gosport, is no stranger to cycling events, with 73 years of club cycling experience behind him, and said: "You can nearly say it's another day in the office."
Meanwhile, his daughter, who is an avid runner and has completed the London Marathon eight times, will take on her first distance cycling challenge at the event on Sunday to raise funds for Breast Cancer Now via their Just Giving Page, a charity which has continued to support her.
Mrs Kippax, who is based in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, was first diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 29.
"I've had breast cancer three times now. It's all getting very tedious," she said.
"The first time I was 29 so that really was a bit of a shock.
"Fast-forward to my early 50s, I had my second diagnosis. I had more surgery and radiotherapy for that."
Mrs Kippax has now overcome her third bout of breast cancer but will still be taking medication for years to come.
Mr Hygate said: "If you look at it, any form of endurance exercise is very, very good for rehabilitation."
The father-daughter duo will be taking part in Ford RideLondon on Sunday and while Mrs Kippax has been completing long-distance rides to prepare for the event, Mr Hygate has "never stopped cycling".
He said: "I've kept reasonably fit all these years because I've never stopped cycling.
"Right from the time when I began back in 1950, I've ridden ever since. I look at it as 'Doctor Bicycle' – it keeps me very fit."
During his time in the Royal Navy, Mr Hygate said he would take his bike on board a submarine.
He recalled how he would dismantle the frame and stash the parts on board, before re-assembling the bike when he reached dry land.
"It's how I got to ride in Japan, Hong Kong and the Philippines. We were stationed in the far east for the best part of three years,” he said.
"Japan was the most interesting. I actually rode to Mount Fuji. It looks exactly how it does in all the paintings and pictures.”
Of the upcoming cycling event, Mrs Kippax said: "I think I get my endurance capabilities from my dad, and when it gets tough you just grit your teeth and go 'this is what I set out to do, so I’m going to do it'.
"It's going to be hard but we'll get there."
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