From supporting the building of schools in Pakistan, to help in the reconstruction of hospitals in Gaza, cycling for Ikbal Hussain (45) is not just about staying healthy - he believes it could be used as a tool for social good. But that doesn't mean Hussain can't have a bit of banter when it comes to sports.
“I enjoy football banter with my friends, but I don't support any particular team," says Hussain, who will be riding with 25 other cyclists from the Hope and Knowledge Bike Club to raise funds for children who are suffering from various hearts defects in Bangladesh.
At his day job as a business analyst for a local government, it may be all about numbers for Hussain, but in his free time, he loves travelling to ancient cities and tasting exotic food; “maybe that is why my favourite city is Venice and my favourite dish is Ilisha!” he quips.
Hussain's love affair with cycling is quite recent. He has been cycling for just over a year now: “When I first got involved, I started doing smaller training rides and gradually moved to bigger events. And I ended up doing the London-Margate ride. It was such a tremendous sense of achievement."
"I am a father with two young children
and if anything happened to my children, I would be devastated.
I want to do anything I can, to help young children
- that is a given for any father.”
Muntada Aid's Little hearts project
Little Hearts is Muntada Aid’s flagship programme, which provides free life-saving heart surgeries to children with congenital heart defects from underprivileged backgrounds irrespective of gender, race or religion.
Hussain is raising donations for Israt (02) who is suffering from Ventricular Septal Defect or VSD. With your support and his peddling efforts, Israt won't be one of 15 million children who die or are crippled annually by treatable or preventable heart disease in low- and middle-income countries.
If you’d like to support Hussain and donate to our Little Hearts Bangladesh project, please visit https://www.muntadaaid.org/fundraising/3ccc/.
