So... I have decided to travel (albeit it from my conservatory for the majority) the 1373km (853 miles) to Hotel Rivalago in Sulzano, Northern Italy. In these strange times when we all continue to contemplate and navigate our experience of lock down, someone asked me "where do you go in your mind to stay calm and find peace"... there was only one place for me, Lake Iseo. Since I first discovered the beauty of this place only a few years ago, it has captured my imagination and my heart, and at the moment, I regularly find myself dreaming of being there, and in those few moments, I can forget about what we are all going through right now. So I thought... well, "If I cant actually go there right now, why don't I ride and run the distance to my happy place 'Hotel Rivalago' instead", in order to challenge myself and hopefully raise some important funds along the way. 

I know that at the moment many of us are finding it difficult to navigate this pandemic, and so many are experiencing challenges with our emotional wellbeing. It warms my heart to see and hear of all the things that people are doing to support each other through this crisis, and I too wanted to do something that may help to raise funds to support people now, and in the future. 

In my job I see daily the struggles that people are experiencing, and having access to good mental health services, like those offered at BLMKMind are so crucial now, and will be when all of this is over. I can't help but think about how important it will be to support people as we transition back to whatever our 'new normal' will be, and so I hope that I can help to raise some money towards doing this. 

For those of you who know me, I am not a cyclist, and so taking on 1373km (853miles) of cycling in a combination of outdoor and indoor cycling will definitely be a challenge. My journey will see me travelling from Cranfield in Bedfordshire to Sulzano in Northern Italy, cycling 1373 kilometres on route, however, I have decided to allow some running miles as I foresee that I may need time out of the saddle :-)

I will still be working full time during this challenge, and am giving myself a maximum of 8 weeks to complete this. I am hoping to raise £1 per mile covered, so please if you can sponsor me to complete this challenge by making a donation, all funds will be going towards supporting BLMK Mind, who do such an amazing job at supporting the mental health needs of those living in Bedford, Milton Keynes and Luton.

Wish me luck, and thanks for your support. :-)