In the summer of 2018 I was riding the Great Divide Mountain Bike Trail a 3083 mile off-road ride from Canada to Mexico when my back started to hurt really badly. I put it down to old age and all the falls and knocks I'd taken in my adventurous life. Unfortunately, back home in the UK in February 2019 out of the blue, my spine suddenly, just snapped. 

It was quickly discovered that I'd got a nasty cancer called Multiple Myeloma which amongst other things attacks bones. Amazingly, my spine was reconnected with Titanium and screws and I was able, slowly, to begin to walk again. Unfortunately I then had to go into a long Chemotheraphy regime in order to attack the disease, culminating on the 20th September 2019 when I had a Stem Cell Transplant.  

The ride has been postponed three times now. Each time its postponed I ask myself the question; will the Myeloma stay in remission and if not will I be fit enough to make this ride?   So if my body lets me on the 19th September 2022 when I ride up to the Eiffel Tower It'll be nearly three years to the day since the Stem Cell Transplant which gave me a chance to live life normally for a while...My new third birthday!

Getting fit enough to do this ride will be very hard for me, for so many things can go wrong between then and now, but a challenge like this is an important motivation to get back to fitness. So I'm going to cycle the 500km over 4 days from London to Paris, to help make myeloma history but also to help me recover. 

Funding for Myeloma research is critically important because myeloma is a complex cancer with no known cure. It's also relapsing and remitting which means many patients are in desperate need of that next treatment. Myeloma UK works to accelerate the discovery and development of effective treatments, and ultimately, to find a cure for myeloma. 

Please support me and my recovery and Myeloma UK in making myeloma history!