An Orpington man will go “to the end of the earth” for his mum by completing extreme sporting challenges through places that hold treasured memories.

Brian Allen, 45, will cycle to Lands End through areas that have emotional attachments for his family after his mother Eve, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2015, deteriorated rapidly.

She had suffered with confusion and forgetfulness before her diagnosis and in less than two years has gone from a sociable woman who “loved to dance” to only being able to scream.

Brian, who lives in Stapleton Road, said: “She has gone from someone who was very forgetful to someone who can’t talk.

“From a sons point of view it is distressing and from my dad’s point of view it is devastating. It is like grieving before she has died.

“Unfortunately it has got to the stage where she can’t communicate, but what we do is we tell her the stories because we don’t know whether or not she can understand.”

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Eve and husband Alf last year.

As part of his training he cycled to Hastings, where the family often spent holidays, and completed a half marathon.

He also created a Facebook page to document his journey.

After the race he wrote: “It was quite windy and tough conditions again especially running directly in to the wind along the seafront for the last two miles.

“Yes I had tears in my eyes as I ran past the pier thinking of my mum and dad but this made me push on.

“Hastings is no longer a place of pain representing the loss of my mum’s memories, Hastings is now a place of celebration of good times that no one can ever take from me.”

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Eve and Brian on Christmas Eve.

Brian recalled the moment that confirmed things were not quite right with his mum, when she was playing hide and seek with her grandchildren but forgot how to play.

When the children realised that she could not remember what she was supposed to do, they came out of their hiding places and hugged her, he said.

As well as the 200-mile cycle to Land’s End Brian has taken part in the Brighton Marathon, and will also complete an Iron Man challenge, which is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile cycle and another marathon.

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Brian running the Brighton Marathon.

Brian said the physical challenges help to take his mind off his mum’s illness.

He told News Shopper: “There is a selfish element to it, it gets me away from things and it’s nice to know it helps people take notice of it [Alzheimer’s] and creates awareness.”

To sponsor Brian visit his donation page and to follow his journey visit his Facebook page.