Introducing Gordon Corry - Cyclist
Gordon Corry, 38 when we leave Murrayfield, 39 by the time we get to Rome, now living in Bonnyrigg but born and raised in Tweedbank (Gala/Melrose).
What is your background?
Played rugby all my early life, captained Gala Academy and Stirling Uni, played for regional squads up to U18 and Scottish Unis, but smashed my shoulder when 15 and had to stop playing after uni. Refereed for 10 years up to Premiership but 7s was my focus – reffed up to European/Olympic qualifiers level by invitation. Loved playing but reffing gave me opportunities to travel and see the game that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. Professionally, I was a Biomedical Scientist specialising in Blood Transfusion, Haematology and Haemostasis in the NHS for 13 years and now work for a global diagnostics manufacturer, AliveDx.
Why did you want to get involved in this challenge?
Tweedbank had 3 rugby pitches and no football pitches when I was young; Doddie was the first rugby player I met when he visited our primary school, roughly when I started playing and saw plenty of him and his brothers growing up between Gala and Melrose. I remember seeing Joost van der Westhuizen in Edinburgh while he was fighting MND, one of my favourite players growing up (thought he was like Gary Armstrong but with more of an attitude), then had the chance to meet him at Dubai 7s when I reffed his invitational team from the J9 Foundation – best weekend of my life at that stage as I just missed out on reffing the invitational final in a shoot out with Ben O’Keefe, but it’s the image of Joost in his wheelchair that always stuck with me – I can’t imagine what it must be like to so active all your life and have that taken away from you completely.
Then a few years later Doddie was diagnosed. I was getting more involved in obstacle races etc and started roping Ian Barr into joining me to fundraise for MND when I moved to Bonnyrigg. Ian didn’t really ask if I wanted to join the team, more mentioned it to me knowing that I would want in. I have kids now who love running about as much as me, I want MND to be a thing of the past so there’s no chance it can affect them.
How long have you been cycling?
6 years, but largely for ‘fun’ – I like to push myself for fitness and for the challenge, but also just like to be outdoors and see things from a different angle.
What do you think will be the most challenging aspect of the trip?
The weather is on my mind. Had frostbite during a mountain marathon when I had to help a friend in a bit of bother, so my hands and feet get painful pretty quickly. So I’m definitely preparing for the worst. Beyond that, each day looks like it will have specific challenges (prevailing winds and potential weather early on, sticking to schedule through the city traffic, and distance while climbing through the Alps) – I want to be able to empty the tanks but still get to the finish line with a massive smile on my face so really putting the work in just now.
How important is it that we keep Doddie's memory alive?
Massive, he was special. Everyone knew who he was and he had time for everyone, and he used that to create momentum through the Foundation that will benefit others, even though it was never likely to save him. People too often need to see a material impact before they accept the problem – Doddie (and Joost’s, and Rob Burrows’, and the Judge’s, and Ed Slater’s…) stories should be those examples so we make changes now and don’t have to go through it all again with someone else.
How important is it that we continue to raise funds for the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation?
Massive too – Doddie got the ball rolling but as Rob Wainwright said on social media the other day, nothing materially has changed in the prognosis of MND. I’ve worked within the NHS, I’ve more awareness than many of the difficulties in funding and staffing research and maintaining momentum, and getting the results of that research out into the real-world, and it takes something like Doddie Aid and the Foundation (and their ongoing support) to make those changes reality. It's not a short-term fix that you can just throw some money and soundbites at and solve, it needs the ongoing focus of decision-makers to allow the specialists working out of the limelight to drive the changes and Doddie Aid and the Foundation are making the kind of noise that will see that happen.
What has been the most inspirational aspect of this challenge so far for you?
The dedication of the team to make this happen for a shared cause. There’s been a lot to overcome in planning and the team have planned all of this in their own time and largely at their own expense. Training has been tough, on the roads or on the gravel at 0630 in storms and freezing conditions (think -6C has been our lowest so far), or on the turbo in the garage while everyone else is asleep. But the message is always the same – whatever we come up against, it won’t be as bad as what the people that are diagnosed with MND will go through; so we do what we do so hopefully we can get to that cure a bit sooner.
What, ultimately, do you want to come out of this?
A cure. But more immediately, hopefully we can give some hope and some pleasure to anyone touched by MND and raise more awareness throughout the 6 Nations of the Foundation. On a more personal level, I want to know that I’ve done what I can to help get this team to Rome, and hopefully we’ll be able to look for the next challenge as a team soon…
