Charity cyclist Gary Shaughnessy has completed a 1,500km ride to the Isle of Man, from Switzerland.
Shaughnessy is chair of the Z Zurich Foundation, a charitable foundation funded by various members of the Zurich Insurance Group. He was welcomed in the island by Zurich’s Isle of Man employees.
The Z Zurich Foundation has supported several island organisations and initiatives, including Isle Listen’s youth mental health work and Junior Achievement Isle of Man’s Just the Job.
The bike ride was part of a year of 60 sporting challenges that Shaughnessy has set himself in 2026 to mark his 60th birthday. You can find out more about his charity challenges at www.garyschallenges.com.
He is now around halfway through his challenge to try 60 different sports, and in doing so is raising funds for Parkinson’s UK and the Personal Best Foundation. Following his own Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2015, Shaughnessy became a passionate advocate for the charity and uses endurance sport both as a means of managing his condition and to raise funds and awareness for charitable causes.
He began his latest cycling challenge in the Swiss Alps and followed the EuroVelo 15 route along the Rhine. After crossing Europe and arriving in the UK, he then completed the Great North Run half-marathon (on foot, not by bike!) before taking a ferry from Heysham to complete the final stage by bike here in the island.
He was joined on the last leg of the bike ride by Zurich colleagues and local business partners on a route that took him to Hospice Isle of Man and Isle Listen’s HQ before returning to Zurich’s headquarters.
Pictured at Zurich House after completing the final leg of the charity ride are, left to right, Andy Bass (Conister), Ed Walter (MAC Group), James Gowans (Zurich), Steve Dawes, Gary Shaughnessy, Paul Dawson (Zurich) and Paul Warburton (Canaccord).