Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

As somebody born with a heart condition (I have had a stroke, spent many months in hospital and had three open heart surgeries as a result), The Somerville Foundation has provided me with incredible support over the years. This is just one small way in which I can give back. 

Cycling has always been my passion, but in recent years my health has made it harder and harder for me to enjoy riding my bike. Lockdown means I have been riding my bike indoors on a turbo trainer using a system called Zwift, meaning I can simultaneously ride and communicate with thousands of other riders from around the world.

I am going to be taking part in one of the Zwift built-in challenges - modified slightly to fit in with the 2.6 theme - to ride 26 (the normal 25 + 1 extra!) laps of the volcano circuit. Each lap will be 4.km / 2.5 miles so I am expecting to ride around 65 miles to complete the challenge.

The furthest I have ridden in the last few years is 45 miles, so this really is a step into the unknown and I am expecting the last hour to be a real struggle. I will be on my bike for at least 3.5 hours in total, so am much hoping that my 'undercarriage' holds out :-) 

I will be starting my ride at 2pm on Saturday 25th April, hoping to join a large group of international riders who will all be aiming to complete a similar metric century (100Km ride) at a similar time.  

There are over 250,000 adults who were born with a heart condition (CHD) living in the UK. The Somerville Foundation (previously GUCH Patients Association) provides support for adults born with heart disease (ACHD). The charity exists to create a world where they receive excellent medical care, and lead happy, healthy lives.

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.