[quote]John Ibbotson or 'Ibbo' as he was more affectionately known was a unique and very special person. Someone who combined his passion for racing at the highest level with a sense of fun which he passed on to anyone he came into contact with.
He raced professionally in Europe, mixing it with some of his childhood heroes, and achieved much in his short but action packed life. After having 'just one more season' in the UK John finally retired from racing in 2003 to spend more time with his family and start Fit-For, a thriving coaching service. From the outset his list of clients started to grow at an amazing rate as he somehow managed to combine the serious side of training to reach one's goals with a sense of fun, an infectious enthusiasm touched all under his wing. His success as a coach was inevitable as he never underestimated the importance of enjoying riding a bike, of finding a good cafe and perhaps most importantly, great cake!
Sadly John passed away on 27th September 2005 and left a hole too large to fill. The coaching side of Fit-For ceased but a number of his friends and clients decided to keep the name going and run a club in his memory....
Ibbo's Cake Quest
With this in mind, on October the 12th 2008, we bring you the second Ibbo Cake Quest. Three distances are on offer to cater for varying levels of fitness, all starting and finishing in John's hometown of Walton-on-the-Hill in Surrey.
Rides are denoted as:
Fairy Cakes - 15 km
Jaffa Cakes - 60 km
Carrot Cakes - 110 km
Fruit Cakes - 150 km
Starting from Walton on the Hill Community Centre, Breech Lane, Tadworth TK20 7SN and visiting the 'Luck Duck' and 'Fanny's Farm Shop'.
Entry fee is £10 in advance or £15 on the day.
For more information and an entry form go to http://www.johnibbotsonfund.com
Ibbo's Tea Party
As a warm up event to get everyone in the mood we are organising a fundraising tea party on September 6th, 2008. This will take place in the field behind the Fox and Hounds pub in Walton-on-the-Hill, KT20 7RU from 2.00pm - 5.00pm. Entry costs £5 per head or free for under 14's (pay on the gate), to include tea, cake, cream & jam scones.
Everyone is welcome - bring your family and friends.
This year's attractions are - Raffle, bottle tombola, flying monkey competition, face painting, max speed output on a stationary bike, space hopper race, cycling quiz, stocks, Pimms stall and much more! .John would have loved it!
For more information go to http://www.johnibbotsonfund.com