This will be my second charity cycle this year. My first outing was a 55 mile challenge round the beautiful Isle of Arran. For a novice it was 4 hours 40 minutes of highs and lows, literally, on a bike that resembled a chopper (showing my age). I would have found it easier if I'd trained for more than two weeks! For this challenge I plan to do a lot more training, and I'll hopefully buy a new road bike.

The company I work for and who are supporting me in this challenge, VGC Group, supplies skilled trades and labour to big civil engineering projects all over the UK. It believes we have a responsibility to improve the health and wellbeing – both physically and mentally - of all our staff. This is why we feel Samaritans provides a good synergy with the work we are doing.