Hello and thank you for visiting my fundraising page.

This is the first time I have ever done anything like this - there's nothing like throwing yourself in at the deep end, eh?! Over the course of four days in Sept 2012 I will be cycling the 300 miles from London to Paris hoping to raise £1400 for OCD-UK, the UK's leading charity for those affected by OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder).

Often referred to as "the secret illness", OCD is ranked by the World Health Organisation as being one of the top ten most debilitating illnesses in the world.

My own battle with OCD has been lengthy, since I was 15 years old, and it has had a huge impact on my life, including being hospitalised and having to leave my university course unfinished because I became so unwell that my life was in danger. OCD-UK gave me the support, advice and friendship (in fact, I met my husband through OCD-UK!) that I can honestly say saved my life when I was a teenager. Back then I never dared hope that one day I would be working full-time, married and about to cycle 300 miles in four days!

I hid my OCD for years because I felt so ashamed of it and experienced such negative reactions to it; it is only now, 10 years later, that I have started to gain the confidence to be able to tell people that I suffer from this potentially life-destroying illness. I know that there are still so many people out there suffering in silence because OCD is still so misunderstood, and the work that OCD-UK does is absolutely invaluable in helping to raise awareness of this illnes.

This bike ride will be challenging for me in two ways - firstly the physical challenge of the distance involved; but secondly I still suffer from quite severe OCD and the idea of spending four days cycling, using communal washing facilities and staying in strange accommodation is one of the hardest things I can imagine doing and I know that my anxiety will be sky-high. But this is just something that I have to do; if the money raised helps to save just one life then it will be well worth the anxiety and sore muscles.

Please support my cycle ride by making a donation. It would mean so much to me and the charity. I am looking to raise £1400 as that will cover the costs of the trip and provide a huge donation to OCD-UK.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it's the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.