Sunderland mum raises £10,000 in memory of daughter
A Sunderland mum took part in an inspiring coast-to-coast cycling challenge in memory of her daughter, raising £10,000 in the process.
Tracey Younger, as part of a 12-strong team, cycled 140 miles from Whitehaven, in Cumbria, to Roker Beach, in Sunderland, between Friday, September 25, and Sunday, September 27 in support of the Buffy Younger Impact Fund.
The fund was set up in January 2025 following the death of Tracey’s daughter, Buffy Younger, who sadly died in April 2024 at the age of 28 after a six-year battle with aplastic anaemia – a rare disease that causes bone marrow failure.
Buffy was treated at the Sunderland Royal Hospital and the Freeman Hospital, in Newcastle, where she later died.
Since her passing, Tracey has been working closely with the Aplastic Anaemia Trust to raise awareness and funding for research into the condition.
Speaking about the coast-to-coast, Tracey said: “We had the best weekend. I think everyone is still on a high from it all.”
Scores of family and friends turned out in Roker to cheer the riders on in what was an emotional finish.
Tracey said: “When we came around that bend in Roker and saw all the people waiting there for us, it was overwhelming.
"I didn’t expect so many people to turn up.”
Despite getting a puncture on the outskirts of Durham, Tracey and the team made it to Roker shortly before 4pm on Sunday after a challenging yet rewarding three days.
Roker was Buffy’s favourite beach, making this the “perfect place to finish the ride and remember her”.
Donations to Tracey’s fundraiser can still be made online at https://www.theaat.org.uk/Appeal/for-buffy.