Daughter whose dad died on her 21st birthday climbs Snowdon to thank the Wales Air Ambulance

The daughter of a bike enthusiast who died on her 21st birthday has marked the first anniversary of her dad’s death by climbing Snowdown and raising money for the Wales Air Ambulance.

Lauren Barltrop had been on holiday with her mum Lisa in Venice, Italy, celebrating her upcoming birthday, when she received the call to say that her dad Peter had been involved in a motorbike accident while taking part in the Welsh 2 Day Enduro in Mid Wales on 23 June last year.

Peter, 56, came off his dirt bike on the first day of the race and the Wales Air Ambulance took him to the University of Wales Hospital in Cardiff. Sadly, Peter passed away two days later.

Lauren, 22, said her dad loved dirt biking and would travel around the country taking part in events and was a member of several bike clubs.

She said: “Every year my dad went to Wales to take part in the Welsh 2 Day Enduro. He absolutely loved it, and he looked forward to it every year. It was the first year back after Covid-19 and he was so excited about it. Unfortunately, he fell off his bike and needed the assistance of the Wales Air Ambulance.

“My mum and I were in Italy and caught the first flight back to Gatwick Airport and then drove straight to Cardiff to be with my dad in hospital. My brother Sam was already there and sadly my dad died on my 21st birthday on 25 June. We were all together when he passed away which we are grateful for.”

To mark the first anniversary of Peter’s death and Lauren’s 22nd birthday, Lauren wanted to show her appreciation to the Wales Air Ambulance by climbing Wales’ tallest mountain and help turn a difficult and emotional day into something more positive, while also thanking the Charity that helped her dad.

She was joined by her brother Sam, 25, and her partner Zen and they managed to raise a fantastic £1,085 for the Wales Air Ambulance.

Lauren, who is from Braintree, Essex, said: “We knew it would be a tough day marking the first anniversary of his death and also my first birthday without him, so that was the main reason we decided to climb Snowdon.

“Climbing Snowdon was amazing, and we have said we are going to do it every year. The weather was beautiful, and the views and scenery were fantastic. When we got to the top, our heads felt much clearer for the day, and it put a more positive spin on what was a hard and emotional day.

“It took about two and a half hours to reach the summit and we had a little picnic before making the journey back down.” #

Peter was a member of Sudbury Motorcycle Club, and he rode with TBEC as well as competing in the Welsh 2 Day Enduro every year.

Lauren said she had plenty of fond memories riding on the back of her dad’s bike when she was younger, and Sam used to go riding with Peter on one of his three bikes.

She said: “My dad loved being on his bike, it was his escape. We grew up with bikes always in our house. We also used to enter the Essex Air Ambulance bike ride every year and my dad used to donate to the Charity, so it feels good being able to support the air ambulance in Wales.

“I think the Wales Air Ambulance is an amazing Charity. We wanted to give something back and say thank you for helping our dad. The situation could have been very different. When dad was found, he was quickly taken to hospital, where we had the chance to be with him before he died.

“We are grateful for everything the medics did to help Dad. Even a year on, it still doesn’t seem real. It feels good to donate to a good cause and help continue the fantastic work of the Wales Air Ambulance.”