AN annual bike ride fundraiser for a former Wanderers star, who has been battling ‘locked-in syndrome’, hopes to break its previous record total.

Gary Parkinson, who joined the Whites in 1993, was completely paralysed apart from the movement of his eyes by a severe stroke that occurred in 2010.

Gary, who still lives in Westhoughton with his wife Deborah, played for Bolton for only one season but spent the majority of his career in the North West, playing for Everton, Burnley, Preston North End and Blackpool.

Mark Forrest first organised a charity bike ride for Gary three years ago. This year’s event will follow the ‘Trans Penine Trail’ and take the cyclists, who range from 12 to 60 years old, from coast to coast over three days. They will start on May 28 at Southport on the west coast and complete their journey in Hornsea on the east coast.

The 52-year-old who owns Mark Forrest & Co, a home improvement company based in Westhoughton, said: “I met him because our kids went to the same nursery and then when he finished football he started to work for me. It wasn’t for him but we kept in contact and we used to go camping together.”

A total of 35 cyclists, including all four of Mark’s sons, will take part this year. This is an increase from 19 riders who cycled from Morecambe to Bridlington last year. Mark says it has “just grown through word of mouth” and he hopes that the group will be able to beat last year’s fundraising total of £6,400.

All that is raised will go towards the Gary Parkinson Trust which uses the money to pay for the expensive equipment 48-year-old Gary needs.

Deborah, who has been with Gary since they met at 15, says Gary has been making slight improvements since the stroke and hopes that through the help of his physiotherapist and speech therapist that his quality of life will improve further.

She said of the fundraisers’ efforts: “We’re all overwhelmed, Gary can’t express how thankful he is. His sense of humour is still there and we have good conversations but we hope that the money raised can buy equipment that will make him more independent.

“I appreciate this more as I know that it’s not easy fundraising but hopefully the money will help make him smile again one day.”