A few years ago my daughter, Sophie, was involved in an accident that led to a very severe brain injury. It was an event that left everybody around her devastated and desperate for hope. We were fortunate to have been airlifted to the RVI in Newcastle - The Great North Children's Hospital. Her stay there lasted many months and took her from near death, to coma, to severe brain injury, epilepsy and a neurodisability leaving her without movement or the ability to speak. Needless to say the outlook was bleak, but Sophie received treatment from expert Consultant Paediatric Neurologists whose dynamic treatments and approaches had been researched and funded thanks to Child Brain Research. These helped to put Sophie in a place where we could start her recovery, prevent further damage and begin her rehabilitation. We continue that journey now, but have no doubt that without the research already done we wouldn't be in as fortunate a position. 

We'd never be able to repay or return the support we have received from so many, many sources, but now I have the opportunity to do something that is a real challenge for me and to raise funds for a charity that helped my daughter have the best possible outcome for her injuries. Sophie faces enormous challenges for the rest of her life. Me riding a bike is nothing in comparison to how hard she works to challenge all of our expectations. This is the reason I have chosen to push myself harder, for longer and to climb higher than I ever have before. Just like Sophie does every day. If you would like to read more about Sophie and her journey please follow the link:  https://www.facebook.com/Sophiestainthorp  

My ride is 150 miles long, has 14,000 feet of climbing and will be completed in a day. Its a 50 miles further than I have ridden before and 3 times the elevation. To add to the challenge I'm diabetic!

I'd love to smash this target out of the water. No amount of money can bring back the Sophie we used to have, but hopefully raising lots of money to research this medical field which is still relatively unknown can only improve the outcome for children whose lives hang in the balance like Sophie's. 

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. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.