A CYCLIST has paid tribute to healthcare workers by creating a route that spells out “NHS” across his home town on a fitness app.

Adam Bronkhorst planned the 12-mile route in Shoreham to create the design on the Strava cycling and running app.

The 45-year-old said the aim of his message, entitled “Thank you NHS (and keyworkers)”, was to show how people were coming together in the time of crisis.

He said: “I feel there is a Covid spirit – people talk about the Blitz and Dunkirk spirit, but there are amazing things people are doing now.

The Argus:

“I just wanted to spell out NHS across our little town so it was almost like the town saying thank you.

"I wanted to spell out ‘key workers’ but doing NHS was complicated enough. Lots of people do Strava art, spelling out names or drawing animals or rude things, so I was looking at creative ways of still going for a ride within the limitations of staying within a couple of miles of home and within an hour and not stopping to talk to people.”

Mr Bronkhorst, a member of the Shoreham By Cycle cycling initiative, said the lack of traffic during lockdown was encouraging many more people to get on their bikes.

The Argus:

The photographer said: “There is less traffic on the road so we are seeing people taking their bike out of the shed.

"They haven’t ridden for years and we are trying to encourage that, showing that cycling is an alternative to driving.”

He said other cyclists and runners had since taken up the challenge of creating routes spelling out NHS and he hoped the idea would spread across the country.

  • Local newspapers across Newsquest are joining forces to raise money for workers at the frontline of the healthcare crisis. Please donate whatever you can, and let us give a collective, united message to our NHS workers of our huge appreciation for their efforts. You can get involved and support our campaign by sharing our appeal and telling us why you are thankful for the NHS #ThankYouNHS on social media using the link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-our-nhs-guardian-angels.