I will be taking part in the 1,500km Trans Pyrenees ultra distance cycling event, starting on 30 September, raising funds for Erase Meso, a charity that is close to my heart.

The Trans Pyrenees is a self supported ultra distance cycling event, with riders racing 1,500km from the Bay of Biscay to the Balearic Sea and back again. We’ll race through some of the most spectacular, remote (and mountainous!) scenery, with more than 37,000m of climbing (the equivalent of four Mount Everests!).

Erase Meso was set up by our friends Paul and Jill Cook, after Paul was diagnosed with mesothelioma (asbestos cancer) in 2017. The charity is raising funds to research a cure for mesothelioma.

The UK has the highest incidence of mesothelioma in the world with around 5000 deaths per year. That's more than 13 people dying every day. It is estimated that there will be 50,000 to 60,000 new cases by 2050 in the UK alone.

Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos. Despite being banned in the UK in 1999, asbestos can still be found in many homes, schools, and hospitals. A recent BBC inquiry found that nine out of 10 NHS hospitals still contain asbestos.

This devastating disease kills a similar number of people to other cancers, such as skin cancer, yet investment into research is severely underfunded. Finding new and effective treatments is absolutely crucial if we are to save thousands of people who are at risk of developing mesothelioma.