In memory of Denise Holmes—an incredible colleague, mentor and friend.

Denise was a force of nature. Though small in stature, she left an enormous impact on everyone who had the privilege of working with her. Her career spanned some of the biggest names in travel, from British Rail and Thomas Cook to Superfast Ferries, Emirates and Qatar Airways. No matter where she worked, she led with passion, determination and unwavering positivity.

She began her career in the late 70s with British Rail before moving to Thomas Cook, where she rose through the ranks to become Regional Manager. In 2002, she took on the challenge of running Superfast Ferries, Scotland’s only direct passenger ferry link to Belgium. Denise then moved into aviation, spending 15 years at Emirates Airlines as Regional Sales Manager, overseeing flights from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newcastle to Dubai and beyond. Her last role brought her full circle back to the airline industry, joining Qatar Airways in 2022—where I was lucky enough to work with her—until she lost her fight with breast cancer in 2023.

Denise loved to travel, and she truly embraced the world, with South America, India and the Middle East among her favourite places. But no matter how far she travelled, her heart was always with her family—her loving husband Andy, her children and her three granddaughters, whom she doted on.

This March, I’ll be riding the Cape Town Cycle Tour (Cape Argus)—a 109 km challenge around the Cape Peninsula’s stunning coastal roads—in Denise’s memory. This race holds deep personal significance for me. After undergoing major surgery to reattach my hamstring last year, it marks a major milestone in my recovery. But beyond that, I am riding to honour two dear friends we both knew, raising funds for the charities closest to them.

I will never forget Denise’s relentless positivity throughout her battle with cancer. No matter what she was facing, she always had the ability to make me smile, and the support she gave me, both professionally and personally, is something I will always cherish. She was determined, resilient and full of life, and I admired her so much for that

That’s why, at the request of her husband Andy, I am raising money for Cancer Research UK—a charity dedicated to funding life-saving research into preventing, diagnosing and treating cancer.

💜 Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading charity dedicated to beating cancer through research. Thanks to their work, survival rates have doubled in the last 40 years, and today, 2 in 4 people survive cancer for at least 10 years. But there’s still so much more to do. Every donation will help fund groundbreaking studies, improve early detection and treatment and bring us closer to a future where no family has to lose a loved one to cancer.

Denise never stopped fighting, and I know she would want us to keep fighting too. This ride is my way of honouring her strength, determination and kindness—qualities she brought into every aspect of her life.

Thank you for your support.