In June 2019 I’ll be part of a team of 30 people known as the FireFlies who will cycle over the Alps, from Innsbruck in Austria to Cannes in France. We don't know exactly what's coming (we find out each morning) but it's about 1000 km, over 8 days up and over some very big mountains!  We're expecting more than 80000 ft of climbing. This is a huge physical challenge, and also an important personal journey for me.  

I came across The FireFlies at the launch of the 2019 ride, and that evening I heard Paul Carless talk movingly about having cancer, his family and how the drugs developed in the last few years allow him to manage and live with the disease. I’d spent the previous weekend away with my family, on the anniversary of what would have been my dad’s 70th birthday. My brother Fran had organised the weekend for us to celebrate and remember my dad, who died from cancer when I was 10 years old.

I signed up for the ride the next day. 

Being able to support the life-saving work of Bloodwise and prevent other families from losing their loved ones is what will keep me peddling through the 7 day ride. The training has been tough, but also fun and rewarding. I know that the actual ride will be one of the hardest things I’ll ever do, but I’m looking forward to completing this for my dad, and for the many, many others like him. 

Please sponsor me if you can. I’m grateful for all donations, big and small. If you do have a larger one, (thank you!), let me know as sending it directly to Bloodwise will potentially benefit more.

Thanks, 

Ed.

More from Bloodwise: Blood cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the UK. While huge progress has been made in improving treatment since we started in 1960, it is still the third biggest cause of UK cancer deaths – taking more lives each year than breast or prostate cancer. Even for those who survive, the long-term effects of treatment can be devastating. Bloodwise funds world-class research into all types of blood cancer and supports people worried about blood cancer with expert information and advice.