My name is Dan, and this is a story about hope, awareness, and action. In 2024, I lost my amazing mum, Penny, to glioblastoma, a devastating form of brain tumour cancer. She was a vibrant, adventurous woman, and I had the privilege of sharing passions with her doing what we loved most enjoying nature, walking, hiking, and joining my dad and me on mountain biking trips.

But when she was diagnosed, all of that was quickly taken away and we faced not just the heartache but also the harsh reality of how underfunded and under-researched brain cancer treatments are, which also took away my mums hope and faith. Despite £700 million being spent on cancer research every year, less than 3% is allocated to brain tumours. Underfunding is particularly concerning given that brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40, and they reduce life expectancy by an average of 27 years, the highest of any cancer. At the current rate of spending, it could take 100 years for brain cancer research to catch up with developments in other diseases. It is devastating to learn that research into better treatments and a cure has stagnated since the 1990s, leaving families like mine with little hope.

The Brain Tumour Charity gave my mum incredible comfort and support during her fight, but she also became acutely aware of how much more needs to be done. She shared with me her desire to create a charity project to raise awareness and support for the Brain Tumour Charity. Tragically, we didn’t have the time to make that vision a reality. And in all honesty, at the time, I also found it difficult to share something so personal to the public.

Before we lost her, my mum expressed a wish for my dad and me to embark on a campervan trip - a healing journey through England, Wales, and Scotland. She wanted us to combine our passions and do what we all loved most, hiking and mountain biking in her memory.

During the journey, we visited Ben Nevis, where my uncle suggested to me and my dad to hike the mountain. After some evening research, I decided to add a twist - hiking up Ben Nevis with my downhill bike and riding it back down. My Dad and Uncle were not entirely fond of the idea with the bike, but I was stubbornly determined...

At the end of the day, over a campfire discussion between me and my dad, the idea for this challenge was born: to hike up and bike down all Three of the UK's Peaks within 72 hours, something that has not be done before on record. We are planning to complete this challenge at the end of June 2025 and during the 6 months leading up to this challenge I will be documenting my journey @2wheels3peaks and try to raise awareness for brain tumour cancer.

This challenge is more than a personal feat, it’s a mission to shine a spotlight on brain cancer and inspire real change by raising awareness and funding for a cause that so desperately needs it. In 2015, charities funded 86% of the national research into brain tumours, while government spending on brain tumour research represented just 0.52% of its total cancer research expenditure. In this modern world, with advances in technology, it is unacceptable that we are still lagging behind in finding better treatments or a cure, I can’t express how deeply disappointed I am with the UK government’s neglect of this issue for over 20 years and I know I’m not the only one. Awareness and funding are key to changing that. This challenge is my way of putting brain cancer in the spotlight and making it difficult to ignore.

How You Can Help

• Share: Awareness is just as powerful as donations, help spread the word far and wide.

• Follow: @2wheels3peaks if you would like to join me on this journey and see how together, we can make an impact.

• Donate: Every pound helps fund The Brain Tumour Charity’s remarkable work.

This is for my mum, Penny, and for every family fighting this uphill battle. I hope you can follow this journey and together, we can make a difference and push for the progress this cause so desperately needs.