A devoted football supporter is riding his bike to every away match this season to raise awareness of inflammatory bowel disease. Jake Warner, a resident of Chertsey in Surrey, decided on the challenge for Crohn’s & Colitis UK before even seeing the full fixture list. Chertsey Town FC’s first away game covered a distance of 181 miles (290 km) to Tiverton, Devon, and the longest journey will be to Plymouth Parkway, about 260 miles (418 km) from his home.
“I wanted to do this for my dad,” Warner said. “The illness affects him personally, so this is something I wanted to do for him.”
According to the charity, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are the two main types of inflammatory bowel disease. In the UK, roughly 1 in 120 people live with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, and the NHS notes that symptoms can include stomach pain, diarrhoea, weight loss, and fatigue.
“As I’ve continued this journey, I’ve talked to more people,” Warner told BBC Radio Surrey. “Even though the numbers are small, the community is large.”
When asked about fatigue upon arriving at away grounds, he joked, “The beer helps to keep me awake.”
Chertsey Town FC competes in the Southern League Premier South.
