BBC Radio 2 presenter Owain Wyn Evans says he struggled with exercise at school because he was bullied, as he prepares to cycle almost 400 miles for Children in Need. The five-day challenge is due to begin in Glasgow on 9 November and finish in Cardiff on 13 November, covering 643km across Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales.
“I never had a good relationship with exercise when I was in school,” Evans said. He recalled feeling unsafe in changing rooms and on football and rugby pitches, and said he often felt he did not fit in. Now 42, he hopes sharing his experience will show people that they do not have to give up on exercise permanently.
Evans described the ride as a major personal test. He said he is not a cyclist or endurance athlete and did not own a bike before taking on the challenge. His preparation has included months of training, though he expects the hills and potentially cold, wet and windy weather to be difficult.
The presenter is taking part in his second Children in Need challenge, following a 24-hour drumathon in 2021. He said he agreed to the cycle because of his connection to the charity, while admitting he has repeatedly wondered whether he will be able to finish.
The BBC said the ride will be the greatest distance covered in a Radio 2 challenge for the charity. Evans said finishing in Cardiff was important to him and would be an emotional moment. Originally from Ammanford in Carmarthenshire, he said he had felt a strong pull to return to Wales while working elsewhere in the UK.
Sources: BBC News UK.