For some unknown reason that neither of us can remember, cycling from Lands End to John O'Groats was added to our '30 before 30' list.

Given Anna is already 31 (the mature one) and Laurel will be 31 by the time we set off on our cycle, it has rolled over to the '40 before 40' list but is now finally happening. We've done all the hard stuff - booked the time off work, reserved the B&B's and chosen our team name. The only minor things left to do are packing, buying bikes and doing a bit of training - the easy stuff.

Anna is the more experienced, having previously cycled from London to Paris in her teens so has taken on the important roles of mechanic and logistics manager. Laurel is significantly less experienced but once cycled from London to Brighton (on the promise of fish and chips). She has taken on the equally important roles of designing the outfits and running the socials.

We'll be doing a route of around 1048 miles over between 13 / 14 days, starting on 19 June 2022 and are hoping to raise a bit of money along the way for two charities close to our hearts.

Firstly, Cancer Research U.K., which needs no introduction. While 1 in 2 of us are currently expected to get cancer in our lives and yearly cancer diagnoses are expected to nearly double over the next 20 years, Cancer Research U.K. hopes its endeavours will help 3 in 4 people survive over that time. Money donated funds research to prevent cancer, diagnose it earlier, develop new treatments and optimise existing ones.

The second is BackUp North West, a charity which helps homeless 16-25 year olds. It provides support and life skills to help the young people to become comfortable with living independently. BackUp provides temporary accommodation throughout Bolton where these young people are able to develop life skills to help them in later life. Every donation will contribute to helping these young people get the support that they deserve. 

We couldn't find a way to donate to both charities on one page but are hoping to raise similar amounts for both so if you are thinking of sponsoring £10, please consider donating £5 on each page. Otherwise we'll end up in a popularity contest and Anna is notoriously competitive...

We're hugely grateful for any donations and this will be what keeps us going once the novelty wears off - likely quite early on day one! You can follow our journey (spiritually, physically, geographically) on here or via our instagram - @hotwheelz2022