Head for Change partners with true supporters for Head to Edinburgh Cycle Challenge 2023 to help raise awareness and funds for further programme roll-outs

Head for Change is excited to partner with true supporters who want to “be part of the solution” and Dai Mathias, a keen cyclist from Pontarddulais, near Swansea in South Wales, is helping to lead the peleton with former Welsh International, Alix Popham.

Dai and Alix will be joined by a group of cyclists who will take on the huge challenge of cycling from Cardiff to Edinburgh for Head for Change in early February 2023 in time for the Scotland v Wales Six Nations match on 11 February 2023.

Head for Change is a new charity, pioneering positive change for brain health in sport and supporting ex-players who are affected by neurodegenerative disease as a result of their professional sporting career in football or rugby.

The charity offers care and support to affected players and their families, and through education and research seeks to protect the players and protect the games, making football and rugby safer for participants by encouraging all stakeholders to take a player-centred approach to the sports.

The aim of the Head to Edinburgh Cycle Challenge is to raise awareness of the issues and much needed funds to support the charity, however, the 450 mile challenge will be made all the more difficult by lack of daylight hours and potentially inclement weather.

Dai Mathias said:

I had the privilege of riding alongside many Welsh rugby legends including Alix Popham during a Welsh Rugby union charitable trust bike ride during 2016 and, along with the rest of the nation, I was shocked to hear of Alix’s early onset dementia diagnosis.

I got in touch with him at the time to suggest we ride again at some point because I felt the need to do something and to be “part of the solution”.

Together with my Scottish mate, Porty, we rode with the Wales v Scotland match ball from Edinburgh towards Cardiff in 2020 for Doddie Weir’s MND Foundation only to find the match called off due to Covid when we were 30 miles from Cardiff! 

We agreed it was the least that we could do to promote awareness of head injuries in sport and support the cause by raising awareness and funds cycling from Cardiff to Edinburgh for Head for Change. I contacted Alix to tell him what we were planning to do and he threw his enthusiasm straight into it and said he’d not only support us but he’d ride with us!”

Alix Popham, one of Head for Change’s founders added: “Although 450 miles is a huge distance to cover, the true support shown by so many people is a great motivator to keep cycling.  Dai and Porty are great guys and everything they stand for aligns with the values and aims we hold at Head for Change.It would be good to get as many people involved in this challenge to raise awareness and much needed funds for what is a small charity in order for us to continue our work that we are determined to do.

We are fortunate at Head for Change to have true supporters who want to #BePartOfTheSolution”. 

The Head to Edinburgh Cycle Challenge team is looking to get together on 10 November 2022 for a ride and photoshoot if anyone would like to interview them and take some photos.

To support Dai, Porty, Alix and fellow cyclists, please visit:

Just Giving Just Giving
Twitter @Head4Edinburgh
Instagram @head4edinburgh
Facebook Head for Edinburgh Cycle Challenge 2023