Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

On October 2024, my friend Dr. Paul Lowe, a beloved and deeply respected voice in global photojournalism and visual education was killed in Los Angeles.

Paul was one of the first photographers to fly into Chechnya to cover the first war when it broke out in December 1994, and produced some of his most important work there. In his stellar career he photographed the fall of the Berlin Wall, the wars in Yugoslavia - where I met him in 1993, Nelson Mandelas release from prison, the Rwandan genocide, and worked on assignment in more than 80 countries from the late 1980’s to the early 2000’s.

As an educator at the University of the Arts in London and the VII Foundation, Paul took on the role of mentor, and advocate, he empowered hundreds of young journalists — especially those from overlooked, and post-conflict regions — to find their voice. His legacy lives on in a vast global network of young photojournalists inspired by his courage, his devotion to learning, his discipline, and his love of life. It lives on in his ability to inspire us all to embrace change and not fear it, to meet every challenge at maximum velocity, to endure, and to be the best imaginable version of ourselves.

Paul was also a dedicated endurance athlete – a cyclist, ultra-marathoner, and triathlete – who found healing, strength, and an anchoring ground through movement and connection with others. He is one of the people who inspired me to get back on a bike when I turned fifty. True to his dedication to helping others improve their lives, we discovered after he died that he had been coaching people all over the world to be better athletes.

The Paul Lowe Challenge is a global initiative that aims to transform grief into purpose by mobilizing our networks and community to raise funds for journalism scholarships in Paul’s name. It brings together journalism, education, and sport — all central pillars to Paul’s life — to raise awareness about the vital role of journalism in society, the urgent need to address mental health issues and journalists’ well-being and to get outside and be active however we are able.

The scholarships focus on supporting students from the majority world, a cause he championed throughout his life. Our fundraising also supports initiatives that provide help to visual journalists experiencing trauma and living with PTSD, continuing Paul’s lifelong commitment to care and the transformative power of storytelling.

I will be riding 100 kms in Bosnia on September 21st, and then joining some of Pauls other friends on a 500km ride around Bosnia in the following days, to raise money in his name.

Please join me in continuing his legacy.