A FOUR-year-old is cycling 100 miles to raise money for the NHS before his fifth birthday after being inspired by the heroic Captain Tom Moore.

Little Ethan Rankin only just got his stabilisers off earlier this month but was eager to get on his bike and take on the huge challenge after seeing the incredible efforts of the 99-year-old which raised nearly £24 million for health care workers.

His proud parents were shocked that their son who turns five on May 18, wanted to cycle 100 miles - the distance of their Alloway home to Carlisle before his birthday. 

But Ethan who lives with mum, Erin, 39 dad, Aaron, 34 and brothers Evan, 12 and Aidan,two, was determined to raise funds for the NHS after his grandpa had major surgery on the NHS and his best pal from Alloway nursery is treated for leukaemia.

Mum Erin told the Advertiser: “We had gotten his stabilisers off on April 4. We were all watching the news about Captain Tom. Ethan just round and said, ‘I think I’m going to cycle 100 miles.”

“His dad I just thought okay we’ll wait and see, not really thinking he was serious about it.

“As a four-year-old we thought he’s got no concept of that kind of distance, but he kept asking if we had set up a fundraising page, and the neighbours were telling us ‘he’s flying on his bike’.”

As Ethan began to clock up the miles, as his amazed parents decided he was going for it and set off with him on daily cycles.

A Just Giving page was set up on Friday, April 24 which by this point the young boy had pedalled 28.8 miles.

The family now spent their daily exercise supporting Ethan as he cycles from Alloway to Ayr and back, covering 10 miles at a time.

Ayr Advertiser:

The challenge has not been without some bumps in the road with a burst tyre meaning he had to borrow a neighbour’s son’s bike.

By today he has already reached 53 miles with the page reaching nearly £1,000.

Erin said: “I’m so proud of him. Just now the page is at £990, it’s amazing, he is going to smash it, for a four-year-old to do that is just incredible.”

Erin has told how she was nearly in tears when writing his Just Giving page, as caring Ethan wanted to thank the NHS.

She said: “The week before lockdown his papa had a brain tumour removed. His best friend has leukaemia just now who he has missed at nursery.

"At the age of four he is so aware of what the NHS are doing, he just cares so much about helping people. That’s all he wants to do.”

You can donate to Ethan's cylce challenge here.

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