I am riding from Berlin to London in 6 days. That's 600 miles, climbing over 11,000 feet in the process. This is a mammoth task and I am doing it on the 80th anniversary of the Kindertransport. The Kindertransport is the reason I am even here today as it rescued over 10,000 Jewish children from Nazi occupied Europe, with my grandpa being one of those children. My dad and I will complete this ride and my 92 year old grandpa will do the last couple of miles with us which should be a truly incredible moment.

I am also riding in memory and as a tribute to my grandpa's sister, Gerty Freimark. Both my grandpa and his sister escaped from Vienna in March 1938. Life had become intolerable following Kristallnacht when their family shop had been looted and their business and livelihood destroyed.

Their father Michael was arrested and together with their mother Leah they were placed under house arrest.

When their father was released the family made the difficult decision to send their 2 teenage children on the kindertransport train to save their lives. The intention was for the parents to join them somehow by crossing a border or two on foot  but that was not to be as first Michael died in a van on the way to a camp and then Leah was murdered in Sobibor extermination camp.

Gerty went on to make a fantastic life for herself, marrying Fred Freimark, a German refugee with an amazing talent for baking. 
Gerty and Fred emigrated to Syracuse in the USA where they set up a successful bakery business and had 4 children Jo Lee, Linda, Richard and Lori all of whom are themselves now married with 10 children and 3 grand children between them. 

Gerty passed away in 2001 and I am riding in her memory.