I did it!  And I am proud to report that my total was 358.2 miles with the longest day being 96m!  It was an amazing experience, particularly cycling with those who had lost limbs in recent conflicts. 

My training in advance of the event definitely paid off - I managed to avoid crashing, only had one puncture and felt pretty amazing all week, thanks to the amazing support and advice I received from two very special men – my gorgeous husband David and Matthew Thornton-Brown, who I fortuitously met just before taking on this challenge and who became my sports coach, developing my performance to allow me to achieve this significant feat.  I am also enormously grateful to Matthew Norman and Tim Wood and his team at Echelon cycles in Pershore, Worcestershire for building me the most beautiful, comfortable and fast road bike.

I have been quite overwhelmed by the support I have received from family, friends and colleagues from the gift and home and defence industries in particular who have supported me by donating to Help for Heroes in recognition of my participation in the Bridge Too Far Bike Ride to help those who have sacrificed so much in our interests.  This has been my motivation. 

Please spread the good word and encourage others to support my efforts or participate in future activities to raise money for this incredibly valuable cause.  Let’s see by how much I can exceed my original target.  I know that every penny will be most gratefully received by those who benefit from the work of Help for Heroes.    

You may be connected to someone who is, has or may serve in our Armed Forces in or other hotspots in the world.  You are sure to have heard about the charity Help for Heroes and the fantastic work they are doing to support those injured in current conflicts.  I decided to join one of their money raising events and cycle 350 miles (over 90 miles in a day) on their A Bridge too Far – Arnhem Bike Ride from 13 – 19 Sep 2010 and I would appreciate all the support you can offer in sponsoring me.  I was under no illusion that this was going to be a challenge but I bought a bike and my training regime delivering significant improvements, thanks to lots of advice from those who are cycling enthusiasts and have tackled similar challenges.  I am particularly grateful to Matthew Thornton Brown who cycled 90 miles with me on the August Bank Holiday.  I felt that was a significant achievement in itself!  As a result I started tghe bike ride feeling good and really looking forward to the big event.  

You may ask why I did this.  Well my gorgeous brother Christian was murdered by terrorists in in 2002 at the tender age of 30.  He had served as an Army Officer and I know he would be supporting this cause if he were still alive.  So I did this challenge in memory of him.  Having served in the Royal Navy myself for over 20 years and with a large number of years military service between other members of my family - husband, brothers, father, uncles, aunts, cousins and more – Help For Heroes is close to my heart and I wanted to do something to support those who are giving up so much.  Please do give generously and make a difference to the lives of our wounded heroes.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.  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 and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.  So please dig deep and donate now.