The 19-year-old's 'Tour de Full English' will raise funds and awareness for two charities, the Motor Neurone Disease Association and The Brain Tumour Charity – both of which are very close to his heart.
In September 2018, Jeremy's dad Giles, a fellow Amex season-ticket holder, sadly lost his life to a brain tumour. Then, only a few months later, in May 2019, his mum Clare also passed away, having been diagnosed with motor neurone disease two years earlier.
The devastating loss of both parents came at a time when Jeremy and his sister Jess were still studying at school in their home town Tunbridge Wells.
“At the start of 2017, all was absolutely fine but by November both our parents were terminally ill with conditions that aggressively attack the body,” Jeremy said. “Naturally, this left me and my sister in complete shock and despair.
“Some of my happiest memories are of watching the Albion, both at the Amex and on the road, with my dad. The club became a big part of his life, certainly in the latter stages of his illness, and gave us both plenty to chat about. Just two weeks before he passed away, we went to St Mary’s for the 2-2 draw against Southampton where Glenn Murray scored in the 90th minute.
“When my dad's brain begun to shut down, football remained a real common language and while he couldn't always remember what he had for lunch, he did manage to remember there's only one Glenn Murray!”
Having successfully navigated his A Levels these past couple of years, Jeremy was then able to grieve properly – and part of that process has been planning this epic challenge, which is due to take seven weeks to complete.
“Finishing school made it tough to properly grieve for my parents as life was just so busy and school was naturally an escapist environment,” he adds. “Once COVID-19 hit though, and exams were cancelled, it really gave me the opportunity to catch my breath and take stock of what had happened.
“I had this urge to raise money for the two charities leading the research into my parents' illnesses, so I decided on this bike ride as cycling was something that really helped me in lockdown. I came up with the idea of setting off on my bike with a tent a few essential supplies, in search of the best breakfast this nation has to offer.”
Having departed his home on Monday, Jeremy has now passed through Brighton – where he embarked on his first full English – and his venture will take him down the south coast to Southampton. From there he plans to head over the Seven Bridge to Wales, then on to Morecambe, across to Yorkshire, before completing his journey in the North East.
But why the search for the best breakfast?
“My mum was one of the most selfless and loving individuals I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing, and one of her great loves was cooking – and taking pleasure on rustling up something nice for her family,” Jeremy recalls. “My dad, meanwhile, was one of those rare people who had the ability to sit outside a café and chat away to strangers for hours on end – so a combination of both brought me to this point.
Day Two: As in Brighton I thought I'd give a Veggie Full English a go. Wasn't blown away but the ambience was tip top, thanks to all the guys at the Mad Hatter Cafe, lovely bunch! pic.twitter.com/SyejFYxY04
— Tour de Full English (@TourdeFullEng) May 18, 2021
“Each breakfast will receive a score out of 20 in each category and then a final score will be placed into the Tour de Full English league table. But, of course, the main goal of this trip is to raise both funds for two such devastating conditions – and certainly more awareness for motor neurone disease.”
Once the challenge is complete, Jeremy will be heading to Exeter, to embark on a degree in politics and economics. It will make trips to the Amex more difficult, but he’ll still be following the side from a distance.
“I’ll still be looking out for Brighton’s results and watching them whenever I can on TV,” he smiles. “I’ve quite enjoyed this season; even being involved in a battle to avoid the drop, as it’s kept me on the edge of my seat.
“We’ve certainly made progress again this season under Graham Potter, which has been brilliant to see. I’ve enjoyed watching the way we’ve approached games and, hopefully, we can kick on again next season.”
*If you would like to make a donation to Jeremy’s challenge, please click here.
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