In March 2015 my mum was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease (PD), a debilitating disease with currently no cure. 

On Saturday 15 June I will cycle 140 miles from Whitehaven on the Irish Sea to Tynemouth on the North Sea. Many cyclists do this route every year but normally do it in 3-5 days, I will do it in a day! I may be a keen cyclist but this will be no easy challenge. I will be pushing myself out of my cycling comfort zone, never having done a century ride before, let alone 140 miles. The route takes in several serious climbs with 10,000 feet of climbing in total - that's over 3 Munro's to give you an idea of how much "up" that is! This won't be a leisurely ride as there won't be time to stop for tea and cake, just brief stops for refuelling!

PD affects people in many different ways . For my mum it affects the left side of her body with tremors. She also has other symptoms, such as anxiety, stiffness and tiredness. The right side of her body remains unaffected at this time, and being an artist this is very important to her as she is still able to paint. However, knowing that the disease is progressively getting worse is scary.

I am doing this challenge for her and for everyone out there who is suffering from this dreadful disease, to raise vital funds for Parkinson's UK to continue their research into finding a cure. 

Please donate whatever you can and thank you for taking the time to read this.