Chris and friends get in a spin

Chris McAuley and Helena Dornan started the 24-hour long spin-cycle at Sheskburn Recreation Centre on Friday, July 8 accompanied by Halo resident DJ Dee Dee McMullan who spun the decks non-stop for 24 hours as well.

The trio were later joined by family and friends at a class and have so far helped to raise over £1,200.

Dee Dee explained: “When I heard that Chris and Helena were taking part in the challenge of cycling on a spin bike for 24 hours non-stop I decided they needed a bit of music to keep them going.

“We started on the Friday night and finished the following Saturday night. The whole experience was extremely tough and took a lot for us to keep focused. However on the Saturday from 2pm we were joined by spin classes and 20 people per session (1hr) could join in and show there support! This helped us greatly and kept the craic flowing.

“The aim of the event was to raise funds and raise the profile of the TinyLife charity and a staggering £1,200 has been raised so far and more money is still coming in.

“An incredible amount of determination, endurance and commitment was shown by everyone involved, and we would like to thank those who helped, called in over the 24 hours and to all the people who took part in the spin classes and donated money!

“TinyLife is Northern Ireland’s premature and vulnerable baby charity, dedicated to reducing premature birth, illness, disability and death in babies born here.

“They have helped support premature babies and their parents in Northern Ireland for 22 years. Last year over 1,800 babies were born prematurely in Northern Ireland.”