Updated on Jun 20th 2012 at 9:37 AM from the JustGiving API

Thank you all so much for the donations and comments. Much appreciated!

<p> <p><span style="color: #000000;">Hello!</span></p> <p><span style="color: #000000;">In a moment of madness (considering I&rsquo;ve never gone further than the pub on a bike!) I had the idea to complete a biking challenge and came up with cycling from London to Paris! I made the mistake of mentioning it to a few people, so there&rsquo;s no turning back now, and here I am making my official commitment to completing it in June 2012.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #000000;">So, what does it entail I hear you ask??</span></p> <p><span style="color: #000000;">Well firstly, contrary to popular belief I'm not just jumping on the eurostar on my bike.</span></p> <p><span style="color: #000000;">I'll be starting at Tower Bridge (London) and cycling more than 200 miles, over four days through to my finish point at the Eiffel Tower. </span></p> <p><span style="color: #000000;">To ensure I remain motivated, prior to and whilst on the journey I wanted to raise some funds for a charity that is close to my heart, Doncaster and Bassetlaw Kidney Association (DaBKA).</span></p> <p><span style="color: #000000;">This charity was set up in 2008 and is run by volunteers and helps kidney patients, their families and carers live with renal disease, from pre-dialysis through to transplant.</span></p> <div style="mso-element: para-border-div; border: none; border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;"> <p style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding: 0cm; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;"><span style="color: #000000;">For the majority of this year my grandad has been in and out of the renal ward, and some very close friends of mine have also had personal experience of their loved ones being ill and requiring treatment in the same ward at Doncaster Royal Infirmary. DaBKA is a fantastic charity that has helped support them and their families at what was/is extremely difficult, upsetting times, for which we are very grateful.</span></p> <p style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding: 0cm; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;"><span style="color: #000000;">I hope that by raising a small amount of money will help them to be able to continue the fantastic work that they do. For more information about DaBKA, please visit <a href="http://www.dabka.org.uk/">www.dabka.org.uk</a> </span></p> <p style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding: 0cm; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;"><span style="color: #000000;">I appreciate times are hard, but please dig deep and donate what you can (I need the motivation!).</span></p> <p style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding: 0cm; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;"><span style="color: #000000;">My trip is self funded, so 100% of your donation will go towards the charity.</span></p> <p style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding: 0cm; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;"><span style="color: #000000;">Thank you</span></p> <p style="border: none; mso-border-bottom-alt: solid windowtext 1.5pt; padding: 0cm; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 0cm 1.0pt 0cm;"><span style="color: blue; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="color: #000000;">Gaz X</span></span></p> </div> </p>