I am taking part in the Newcastle Big Ride for Palestine 2025 to support the Gaza Sunbirds Paracycling team.

As a keen cyclist, I am inspired by The Gaza Sunbirds, a team of para-athletes based in the Gaza Strip. The team was founded by Alaa al-Dali, an Olympic hopeful cyclist, after he was shot in the leg by an Israeli sniper in 2018, whilst watching the March of Return. Alaa's leg was amputated from below the knee, but he did not give up his dream, and channeled his energies into establishing an amputee cycling team within Gaza — called the Gaza Sunbirds, with the hope that they would defy the odds to compete in Paris 2024. Alaa was evacuated in April 2024 and went on make a historic debut, competing for Palestine in the 2024 Paracyling road World Championships in Zurich.

As we witness as ongoing genocide in Gaza, I am fundraising to support the Gaza Sunbirds to continue their mission to represent Palestine on a global stage.

Most of the Sunbirds team remain in Gaza where they are distributing aid to their communities.