John’s mission accomplished

INEOS USA is gunning to help rid the world of a devastating disease which affects almost half a million people in America.

A team from Olefins and Polymers this year, for the very first time, cycled 175 miles from Houston to Austin in Texas to help fund research into multiple sclerosis.

"I had ridden the BP MS 150 countless times," said John Caffey, Business Development Manager for the Feedstocks group within O&P USA. “But I decided to up the ante by captaining a team at work.”

His job was to lead – and inspire – them to keep going when the going got tough over the two-day event.

“And it did,” said John. “Trying to convince your legs, not to mention your bottom, that they want to be on the bike again after 100 miles on the first day, isn’t easy.”

The second day was filled with hills for the thousands of riders, punctuated by the roads through Bastrop and Buescher State Parks.

“They were a real challenge for tired legs,” he said.

John, whose aunt was diagnosed with MS in the nineties, was joined by 31 of his colleagues at the start – and later at the finish.

“We set our preliminary team fund-raising goal at $25,000, but in the end we achieved $25,280,” he said.

As for John, his involvement won’t end this year.

“I will continue to support this ride until a cure is found,” he said.

Organisers are hoping this year’s ride will have raised about $14 million to help speed up research into finding a cure for MS.