Audrey and Sean Duxbury have taken on the London to Lisbon, Two Ball Rally, in memory of their late son Joshua Duxbury who passed away following a motorcycle accident in 2016.
On 8th October 2016, Joshua, aged 21 at the time, was travelling to work as a Chef at his mother’s popular café, Route 59 in Skipton, when he sadly lost his life in a road collision with a Lorry.. The Yorkshire Air Ambulance crew were dispatched to the scene, however, sadly Joshua had died on impact.
Audrey and Sean are now keen to continue their son’s memory by fundraising and supporting the emergency response charity, Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
The couple considered many traditional ways to fundraise, but after learning about the ‘Two Ball Rally’ tour, they knew it would have been something Joshua would have loved, and didn’t hesitate for a moment to sign up. With a strict budget of £800 as per the rally rules, Audrey and Sean purchased their 58’ plate Ford KA and began decorating it in a golf buggy theme, in homage to the last activity they ever did with their son.
The couple, who are driving as team ‘Underpar’ are documenting their journey on social media and will be dressing in different golfing attire for each leg of their trip ranging from traditional 30’s, 50’s, 70’s, 90’s and modern-day dress.
The duo set off on their trip on the 5th of April from Joshua’s favorite football club, Blackburn Rovers to make their way down to the official start of the race at the famous Brands Hatch circuit.. Joining over 37 other rally drivers at the starting line, Audrey and Sean were met by Joshua’s Aunt and Uncle who will also be partaking in the rally in a duck-themed car.
Travelling from Brands Hatch race circuit, the convoy will travel via Le Mans, Bordeaux, Burgos, and Braga, before finishing the tour in Lisbon. Upon arrival at each destination, the rally group will take part in fun challenges to collect points, and win spot prizes, all adding to the sense of adventure.
Supporters have so far donated £450 via Audrey and Sean’s Just Giving page. The married couple, who will celebrate their 38th wedding anniversary on the day they arrive in Lisbon, hope to celebrate by reaching their fundraising target of £1500.
Audrey, who is currently restoring Joshua’s Motorbike as part of her personal therapy, said, ‘We knew when we set out on this challenge that it would be a great way to honour our son, sharing in his passion for motor rallies, as he completed a tour of Dublin’s coastline before he passed away. We are certain he would have laughed at our fancy dress costumes too! Thank you to everyone who has donated to us, it means the world that we can remember Joshua whilst also supporting a charity that is so close to our hearts’.
When speaking of his fundraising efforts, Sean said, ‘Thank you to everyone who has donated so far, we miss our son every single day and doing this European tour means so much to us. Not only has the Yorkshire Air Ambulance touched our lives very closely, but many of our regulars from our Café, which is really well supported by the motorcycle community, have required it too. We hope our donation will help towards the cost of saving more lives around Yorkshire’.
North Yorkshire Regional Fundraiser, Tessa Klemz, said, ‘We are incredibly grateful to Audrey and Sean for their fantastic fundraising efforts in memory of their son, it sounds like a brilliant adventure, and I know it means so much to them. Their dedication and generosity will help us continue providing life-saving care to those most need it. We cannot thank them enough for their support and for making a difference in the lives of others’.