Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.It has been a number of years since I have asked for sponsorship whilst undertaking one of my annual pressure release activities, and given the events of the past 8 months I thought the time had come.
Many of you will know that whilst on a family walk in the Norfolk sand dunes in the October half term my Mum had a severe stroke/ bleed to the brain. After supporting her back the final mile to the car followed by an ambulance from the surgery to Kings Lynn hospital we were told the writing was on the wall. That said we pushed for a transfer to Addenbrookes where they carried out brain surgery the following day and saved Mum’s life. Despite this, significant damage had been done and 8 months later Mum is still down in Canterbury hospital in bed/ wheel chair with one side of her body motionless. On the positive side she definitely knows what is going on and reacts in an appropriate way to conversation,photos,grandchildren’s stories etc, and although she can sing things like Happy Birthday which are automatic she struggles to say the correct word at the correct time. Mum is soon to return to her village where she will have a 24 hour a day carer and be in the comfort of her own home. During this process, my sister in particular has gained a lot of advice and direction from the Stroke Association, and for that reason that is the charity that I shall do this little expedition for.
Now to the challenge; I will be doing the Etape, which for those of you who are not familiar is the day in the middle of the Tour de France where the professionals have a break and they let 7,000 middle aged men have a crack at one of the toughest sections of the tour – this year it happens to be 85 miles, with 3 major climbs totalling 4,600m and ending in the ski resort of Alp D’Huez after the final 21 hair pin bends. I am doing it with an old Price Waterhouse colleague, Chris Busby, who I also travelled around the world with after uni – the last time we did an expedition on 2 wheels it was on a couple of 250cc off road trail bikes in Cape Tribulation – I am not sure which is more scary – crossing the crocodile infested Bloomfield River in Australia or the sight of a lot of MAMIL’s (middle aged men in lycra) in the Alps.In advance many thanks for your support and I will let you know how we get on.
 
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Many thanks,

Richard