Kids’ doctor races pros in France

Dr MacKinnon will take on the ‘Race to the Sun’ cycling challenge along with four experienced alpine cyclist colleagues. Over seven days they will cycle 1260km from Paris to Nice, covering distances of around 200km a day, as they try to stay ahead of the professionals in the Paris-Nice road race.

Dr MacKinnon, who works at Saint Mary’ Hospital, said “I’m hoping I won’t be too exhausted when I get to the end of the race as I turn forty and hope to have a little energy for celebrating that and the success of the cycle ride and money raised in aid of the new unit.”

The New Children’ Hospital Appeal aims to raise £20m to help fund projects in the new hospitals focussing on two main areas of providing state-of-the-art equipment and parental accommodation to enable parents to stay close to their child. All sponsorship raised from the cycle race will be directed to the new neonatal unit.

Dr Mackinnon is being supported in his fundraising by Face Partnership, which organises the Revolution track series at Manchester Velodrome, and Edinburgh Bicycle, which will open in Manchester on 22nd March, next to the new children’ hospital site.