King Arthur, the plastic skeleton, cycling to a town near you

One student and his skeleton are heading on a tandem trek to support student scholarships at Imperial - News

For immediate release
29 June 2012

One student, his tandem bike and his skeleton cycling-companion are on a marathon mission to ride across the UK to support student scholarships at Imperial College London,  the world-leading science-based university.

Imperial Physics student, Kadhim Shubber, is cycling from John O’Groats to Land's End, raising money for scholarships, which help ensure students who merit a place to study there are not deterred from applying by concerns over costs.

While most who attempt the nearly 1000 mile trip would favour a well-equipped road bike, Kadhim has opted for a tandem and the second seat will be occupied by King Arthur, an artificial skeleton.

Kadhim says: “I’ve been at Imperial for nearly five years and I’ve become the person I am today because of my time here - it’s been fantastic. It saddens me that some people may be put off applying to university because they can’t afford it or think they can’t. The Rector’s Scholarship Fund helps ensure people feel able to come and study here and I wanted to do my bit to support that. I hope it helps other students to benefit from some of opportunities I’ve had at the College.”

He adds: “King Arthur and I always got a great reaction when we were out training on the tandem. I hope the same holds true on the ride itself. If you see a guy and a skeleton cycle past please feel free to show your support and give us a wave!”

Having set out from John O’Groats on 30 June, Kadhim and King Arthur’s route will skirt Edinburgh, Carlisle, Wigan, Warrington, Birmingham, Gloucester, Taunton and Exeter. Kadhim is aiming to beat the world record for the longest tandem ride with an artificial skeleton first set by an American anti-smoking campaigner, Art Hoffman, who rode 437 miles with Oscar the skeleton during a 1987 cycle race in Iowa.

In the process Kadhim hopes to raise £10,000, all of which will go directly into scholarships for students who have the academic ability to study at Imperial but who may not be able to accept a place for financial reasons.

Fellow Physicist Sioni Summers will be following the tandem duo on his own bike, to lend moral and practical support to Kadhim and King Arthur.

Imperial’s Pro-Rector (Education and Academic Affairs) Professor Julia Buckingham said: “We’ve very proud of Kadhim and Sioni for taking up their bikes to support the Rector’s Scholarship Fund. Our aim here at Imperial is to ensure we attract the most talented and able students, and the support the Scholarship Fund offers is an important ingredient in this.  We wish Kadhim and Sioni the best of luck and would like to thank everyone who supports them.” 

Kadhim is tweeting during his adventure. Follow him at https://twitter.com/#!/skeletonfund.

Support Kadhim and follow his journey here.

To get in touch with him during his ride contact: 

J-P Jones
Press and Communications Officer
Imperial College London
e-mail: john-paul.jones@imperial.ac.uk

Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7594 6704
Out of hours Duty Press Officer: +44 (0)7803 886 248
www: www.imperial.ac.uk/media

Notes to Editors

About Imperial College London

Consistently rated amongst the world's best universities, Imperial College London is a science-based institution with a reputation for excellence in teaching and research that attracts 14,000 students and 6,000 staff of the highest international quality. Innovative research at the College explores the interface between science, medicine, engineering and business, delivering practical solutions that improve quality of life and the environment - underpinned by a dynamic enterprise culture.

Since its foundation in 1907, Imperial's contributions to society have included the discovery of penicillin, the development of holography and the foundations of fibre optics. This commitment to the application of research for the benefit of all continues today, with current focuses including interdisciplinary collaborations to improve global health, tackle climate change, develop sustainable sources of energy and address security challenges.

In 2007, Imperial College London and Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust formed the UK's first Academic Health Science Centre. This unique partnership aims to improve the quality of life of patients and populations by taking new discoveries and translating them into new therapies as quickly as possible.

Website: www.imperial.ac.uk