Thank you for finding my fundraising page. I'm Alice, a millennial journo with a low tolerance for pain, a bachelor's degree in laziness, and a penchant for Creme Egg brownies.

Why, then, am I tackling the BHF London to Brighton Cycle Marathon?

The answer is Janet Mills.

My aunt was a vivacious woman – her big smile wrapped her entire face, body, and soul in a warm and comforting glow. When she walked into the room, it really did light up. 

Auntie Janet was the best "fun aunt" anyone could wish for. When my brother and I were young, she'd ruffle our hair in a waft of posh perfume, and tell us stories that made us giggle. She took us to Pizza Hut (every teen's favourite restaurant) when we got our GCSE results. Got on the floor at my 18th birthday and danced to Zorba the Greek. Did my nails for my first outing as a bridesmaid, sharing words of marital wisdom all the while.

A globetrotter, Auntie Janet had many tales from faraway places, but also knew how to build a happy home: her sunny BBQs were always a hotly-anticipated opportunity for our scattered family to get together, laugh, and put the world to rights.

But last year, Auntie Janet was suddenly taken from us. She suffered a massive brain haemorrhage. Her heart stopped. Paramedics, doctors and nurses tried their best to save her, but nothing could be done. She was just 58 years old.

Janet's last, selfless gift to the world was to donate some of her organs, so others might live the life she could not. There are people all over the UK carrying a little piece of my beloved Aunt with them. We all miss her immensely, but her unwavering support of medical research has given us great comfort in the days, weeks, and months since her passing.

As part of Janet's legacy, my family have been raising money for medical charities, so that more research can be done, awareness can be raised, and more lives can be saved. The British Heart Foundation is a charity Janet and her husband long supported. That's why I'm doing this ride.

Did you know that just £5 buys 125 microscope slides, helping scientists to study the cells that cause faulty hearts? Or that £10 pays for a full day's worth of test vials, flasks, and petri dishes that a team of heart attack researchers will use? £25 goes even further, funding an hour of research on how to prevent and cure devastating circulatory diseases.

So, if you can find it in your heart (pun intended), please give what you can to support this worthy cause. What's in it for you, you ask? That's easy: hilarious pictures of my sweaty face on Twitter, plus the knowledge that you're helping to beat heartbreak – for good.

For you, Auntie Janet. Always.