Last year Ollie Bristowe and I decided we wanted to raise some money for charity. We thought long and hard about an appropriate challenge and finally decided to cycle from to John O’Groats. Our reasoning was that one thing that Ollie and I are very good at is sitting on our backsides for long periods of the day. So we reckon that all we have to do is substitute the remote control for a water bottle and off we go.

We plan to do the trip in twelve days, starting from on 21^st July and finishing in John O’Groats on the 1^st August. The route we have planned to take is just over 900 miles and so we will be averaging around 80 miles a day (roughly 130 km).  We have bought the saddle bags, ample lycra and the essential padded shorts and our training is in full swing.

Ollie and I have chosen to cycle on behalf of different charities. I have chosen to cycle in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust. We all know someone who has directly or indirectly been affected by cancer. A significant number of us additionally know of teenagers who have been struck by cancer. While we may have access to loads of statistics about cancer in teenagers, what we cannot fully relate to is the impact on any teenager of being a cancer victim. Here we are in the prime of our lives (and how often do our parents bang on about that!), choosing universities, further education or jobs and looking forward to all the excitements of young adulthood. It is hard to imagine the devastating impact of being told that one has cancer. The Teenage Cancer Trust is dedicated to supporting all those teenagers afflicted in this way, helping them to cope with the impact of their illness and to lead as normal a life as possible. Please go to www.teenagecancertrust.org to find out all about this fantastically worthy cause and please, if possible, give generously!