In a few days time, I will be heading over to Belgium to take part in the Transcontinental Race.  It is a ultra endurance cycle race across Europe, going through 10 countries and covering approximately 2,500 miles.  It is completely self-supported, which means I have to carry all of the equipment, kit, clothing etc I need and have to navigate my own way from start to finish.  I'll be up against 300 racers from all over the world and will be riding for around 16-18 hours a day.  Sleep will happen in bus stops, park benches, bushes - just about anywhere I can find. 

I hope to arrive in Greece some 10-12 days after I start and by that time, I will have climbed the equivalent height of Everest four times over.

It is without doubt the biggest, most challenging thing I have ever attempted on a bike.  It has taken 7 months of careful planning and despite a setback when I broke my collarbone (amongst other things), I am now as ready as I will ever be.  I've never properly slept rough, have only been to 2 of the 10 countries before, have never cycled or navigated more than 300 miles in one go and can only ask for a beer in 3 languages (with one of them being Japanese).

It will be a voyage of discovery.

The thing that is keeping me motivated through all of this is the ever-present memory of my mum who passed away last year.  You may or may not have known her but she really was a special mum.  I miss her all the time. 

She had cancer and got really poorly in the latter months of her life.  Despite her body failing her, her spirit was always so strong.  She spent the last few weeks being lovingly and respectfully cared for by the staff at St Davids Hospice.  They were there not just for my mum but for our family also.  They were better than you could ever hope for. 

Prior to my mums illness, I would frequently walk past the hospice, never imagining that I or anyone I know would become associated with it.  You never contemplate that perhaps one day, you or someone you love dearly will make use of the services they provide.  It is ran and funded on money raised through charitable events.  With out these fund raisers, there would be no hospice. 

I was touched by their kindness in a deeply profound way and have felt for some time that I would like to give something back.  To help ensure that someone else, perhaps you or someone you know, will be able to access the care and support that we did.

Help spur me on and help support the hospice.

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