My own Olympic challenge is to cycle solo and unsupported from Rome to Reading, a distance of over 1,500 miles. I will raise, with your help, over £10,000 for the Buscot Babies Fund at the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

Last year I celebrated my 60th birthday by cycling solo from Lands End to John O'Groats, 940 miles, raising over £6500 for a Home-Start, a local child protection charity, for whom I volunteer.

The Buscot Ward is the Special Care Baby Unit at the Royal Berkshire Hospital and is the only such ward in Berkshire. 

The cost of the equipment to help babies, who may weigh as little as 500gms, is very expensive - to equip one intensive care cot costs over £60,000.  60% of equipment costs are met from charitable donations.

You can follow my progress via Twitter via @barbybikes4kids