This July I'll be attempting to cycle the coastline of mainland UK, riding (approximately) 5000 miles in an anticlockwise loop over 4 months and covering an average pace of around 45 miles a day.

I've cycled from Lands End to John o'Groats before (covering just over 1000miles, in 2016) and from Leeds to Amsterdam via Paris as well (about 1300 miles, in 2018) - this challenge will be the equivalent of twice those trips combined! I love the freedom that cycle touring brings, the experiences I encounter and the people I meet. And cycling the UK coast will be an epic way to explore the UK.

The reason I'm raising money for Cancer Research UK is because - sadly like most people - I've seen firsthand how much of a cruel disease cancer is. It is a beatable disease though and the progress that science is making, including through contributions from charities like Cancer Research UK, is astounding. We simply must keep this research up to help save future lives and reduce people's suffering.

Halfway through my Lands End to John o'Groats ride a good friend from Australia sadly passed away from breast cancer (taken far too young), whilst my step mum tragically succumbed to lung cancer last year too. Seeing what she went through, and the impact it had on my dad, was horrific. I also recently had my own experience with melanoma skin cancer, and whilst that was fortunately caught early (stage 1), it was nevertheless a scary and worrying experience. From reading about melanoma whilst going through it though I was struck by the amazing advances scientists have made in treating it over the last few years, with huge strides made in survivability rates for those with advanced cancer. It's for these reasons that I'm raising money for Cancer Research UK.

You can follow my progress on https://www.cyclingtheuk.com, or on my Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/cyclingtheuk.