At the start of the year, having finished work in December, I was looking for a challenge and an opportunity to mark that transition.  I decided on cycling Lands' End to John O'Groats as being something I'd long had at the back of my mind, but never really thought I'd get the chance.  Since then, I've been planning, buying the necessary kit, and doing some training.  

In March my nephew Chris' 3-year-old daughter Mary was diagnosed out of the blue with cancer.  After tests it was determined to be at stage 4 which was terrible news for Chris, and all his family.  I wondered if there was any charity or organisation that was supporting Mary that I could raise money for, to try to do something positive.  Chris suggested Milly's Smiles, a charity who had provided Chris, his wife Colette, Mary and their 10-year-old son Henry with support, to help whilst the treatment started.  There are lots of details on their website https://www.millyssmiles.org/

After 8 rounds of chemotherapy, Mary's test results are showing an improvement, so we are waiting with hope for every update that comes.

I think that any sponsorship needs to have some element of endurance, and not be too comfortable.  For that reason, I've decided that I will give myself some extra challenges - 1. every night spent camping (except for emergencies); 2. solo and unsupported (apart from the very occasional meal and a shower in the houses of friends and family as I pass by);  3. mostly powered by plants (with the occasional non-vegan cake or pudding to keep morale high).

As the Milly's Smiles website says, their desire is to make every parent and their child feel like they have been given a loving hug.  Chris has confirmed that aspiration is being met.  If you would like to help continue that with some sponsorship, the thought of supporting that ambition will help keep my legs turning around every mile of the way.

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. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

If you'd like to keep up to date with my progress, I'll be sharing photos and keeping a diary here  https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/14dpxzHJe2NWx3HWiX6Yi6xGvKMfBMWlf?usp=sharing