Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I don't normally do sponsorship. Asking people to sponsor me for something I love to do goes against my better instincts. But this year is different...

In January I lost my almost twin sister, Joanne, after a four-year fight with melanoma. She was 47 and leaves behind four young children. Last year she ran the London Marathon for Cancer Research with my other sister, Kerry, despite serious illness. In June my mother also died of the same awful disease. This year has left four children without a mother, twelve children without a grandmother, and to cap it all, myself and my remaining sister are now orphans! - my father died in a car crash when I was only six years old.

Winston's Wish is a charity that supports bereaved children. Our family know first-hand what it is like to be a bereaved child growing up, and that is why I am supporting them in this year's Ride London.

I've finished the previous three rides, and last year I was 83rd overall (as I said, I ride a lot and race a bit). My challenge this year is to try and get the Winston's Wish jersey on the television. So I am aiming for a first group finish and a time of less than my previous best 4:06:34. We shall see. Any contributions, no matter how small would be most welcome.

Kind regards

Daren Austin

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.