At the end of July I will compete in an extreme ultra-distance bike race across Europe, the Transcontinental Race. The race is totally unsupported and runs non-stop from Belgium all the way to Turkey, traversing the Alps along the way. It will cover approximately 4,000km and involve around 60,000m of climbing (almost 7 times the height of Everest). The winning time is likely to be around 10 days and I'm not there to make up the numbers. 

This is the first time I've used any of my adventures to raise funds for charity but it's also far and away the most extreme challenge I've set myself. I'm documenting the training, the prep and the race itself through my blog www.theadventurecapitalist.wordpress.com and if you find the content entertaining I'd encourage you to make a contribution to Cancer Research UK here.

Why CRUK? I've been lucky to be spared any immediate contact with cancer thus far, but I've seen the devastation it has caused to my friends. It's a cruel disease and it's particularly gut-wrenching when it affects the young. 40% of cases are in people under 60. We are currently making enormous progress through and CRUK funds pioneering research that's saving lives and working towards beating cancer.

Don't consider this a donation though. This is an investment in your family. As our life expectancy increases cancer is set to affect more of us. Current research suggests that, right now, 1 in 2 people will develop cancer at some point in their lives. Statistically that is you or your partner. It's one of your parents. It's half of your friends. Cancer affects us all but we can fight it. Please give generously.

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.