I want to tell you a story. Its a good one, but it starts off pretty sad but I promise you it has a happy ending so please stay with me!

We have to go back to when I was 11 years old and the summer of 1992. I was a few months away from starting senior school and that night I’d been left to babysit for the first time. My mum had to work a night shift, and dad had been working a late shift and would be home later that evening. It was only for a few hours but at that time it was a big deal to me. My mum fed us, put my brother to bed and left me some film from the video library to watch (a western I think.) I was tired and wanted to sleep but I wanted to stay awake to see my dad and show him I’d done a good job that they could trust me to babysit again. Dad crept into my room, said good night and give me a kiss and left me to go to bed. It was the last time I’d ever see him.

Dad with my brother Stu and me (on the right)

 

That mornng I awoke to discover my dad had tried to kill himself, I’ll never forget finding the note and the horrible low I felt, its cliched but I really felt like ‘d be punched in the stomach. I didn’t think I could feel any worse, but sadly I was wrong, that was to come when mum had to tell me and my brother that evening that my dad had died. I would never wish that moment on anyone.

For weeks I felt a whole spectrum of emotion, sadness, numb, guilt, anger, denial, confusion, I went through the lot. No child should have to go through that and as the eldest I felt some obligation to be there for mum, so bullshit machoness that I need to be the head of the family. I wasn’t ready for any of this, I couldn cope. Luckily I didn’t have to.

I’m from the great city of Gloucester and as well as boasting the best rugby team, at this time it was also the start of a charity called Winston’s Wish. It looks after and counsel’s children who’ve lost a loved one. Myself and my brother, where some of the first children to go through the scheme and without it.

Fast forward to the present day and i’m a 32 year old with a good career, a lovely fiancee and many happy memories of my dad. I don’t know how much of that I’d have without the aid of Winston’s wish.

A few years ago, i played rugby for 24 hours to raise money for the charity and also cycled from Land's End to John O'Groats. Now I want to do something more to give back to this amazing charity.

So from the 1st January 2014 till the 31st December 2014 I will attempt to cycle a minimum of 10,000 miles. Its going to be a big ask, being an average of 27.3 miles a day! but its something i'm determined to accomplish.

Any money you give to me will go straight to Winston's Wish and will go a long way to supporting the charity in all the amazing work it does.

The rules are simple:

1) Get on bike, ride as far as possible.

2) Record distance (i will be using strava and my cycle computer to keep track of the distances.

3) Get to 10,000 miles

To follow my journey you can go to my blog on

cyclingfordad.wordpress.com

thank you for visiting my page and supporting my cause.