Introducing Gary Henshaw - Support Team

Who are you (name, age, where you come from)

Gary Henshaw, 53 years old. Originally from Elgin in Moray, and grew up in a village nearby, but I now live in Edinburgh with my wife, Gillian, 16-year-old son, Jamie, and our Westie, Sophie.

What is your background?

Having grown up in a small fishing village in the north of Scotland, I moved to Edinburgh to study for a Business Degree at Edinburgh University, and subsequently trained as a Chartered Accountant with a Life Insurance company in Edinburgh. I've spent my entire career to date working in or around the Financial Services Industry, undertaking roles in both the UK and overseas, and ultimately specialising in risk and regulatory matters. 

Following a health scare in 2022 (advanced prostate cancer), I have consciously scaled back my main career activities, for the time being supporting my wife in her career as an artist, and in the spring I am taking up caddying part time.

Outside of work, I am a passionate rugby supporter (Edinburgh and Scotland season ticket holder), enjoy going to the gym, and am a keen golfer, playing off a handicap of 1.  

Why did you want to get involved in this challenge?

A number of different reasons:

- Whilst at university, a friend from back home lost his father to MND, so I was exposed relatively early in life to how devastating the disease is, and at a time when very little was known about it. More recently, a friend and fellow member of a golfing society which I now have the privilege of captaining also succumbed to MND. Taking part in this challenge is a fitting way to remember both of them.

- Whilst overcoming my own battle with prostate cancer in 2022, I continually drew inspiration from Doddie and Rob Burrow - their attitude and courage whilst facing a much worse situation than my own undoubtedly helped me to remain positive and battle through. This is a way for me to thank them and give something back and I feel my life skills and experience will enable me to make a valuable contribution to the ride.

-  On a personal level, what we are taking on is an incredible challenge, and I think it will be an amazing thing to be part of. Hugely challenging, but something we will all be immensely proud of doing and will look back on fondly, having created some incredible friendships and shared memories. 

How long have you been cycling?

I potter about on a Watt bike at home occasionally, hence not one of the cyclists! 

What do you think will be the most challenging aspect of the trip?

I'm not sure where you start on this! It's a crazy challenge for us all to be taking on, with so many different moving parts and unique challenges to overcome. From a support team perspective, making sure we are always in the right place at the right time and that the cyclists get the support they need. As someone who regularly enjoys 8-9 hours of sleep a night, fatigue and lack of sleep will be a huge personal challenge for me.

How important is it that we keep Doddie's memory alive?

It's incredibly important. I've seen first-hand the devastating impact this disease can have, and it's important we keep awareness high and raise the vital funds needed to further research into finding a cure. He was truly inspirational.

How important is it that we continue to raise funds for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation?

Without it, research into improving the quality of life of those who have this horrible disease and, ultimately, hopefully, finding a cure will continue to be hopelessly underfunded. Ongoing fundraising such as this is vital, not just to fund research, but to ensure that awareness of and the profile of MND remains high - that the importance of finding a cure is not forgotten. 

What has been the most inspirational aspect of this challenge so far for you?

I'm relatively new to the team, but as I get my head around things, I appreciate the way the team has come together and the amount of effort that has already gone into preparation and planning. The scale of what we are taking on is inspiring in itself.

What, ultimately, do you want to come out of this?

Ultimately, the goal has to be finding a cure for MND, but in terms of this trip, it's to continue to raise awareness of, and a huge amount of money for, vital MND research.