In April 2021, I was involved in a cycling incident. I have no memory of that day nor the following 15, but I later learned that I was found in a coma and that the attending Air Ambulance Doctor and Critical Care Paramedic took control of my breathing to help stabilise me. I had sustained multiple brain injuries and was not in a very good way. What followed was seven weeks in hospital, six months away from work and a long, ongoing recovery journey.

While I can never repay what I owe, I hope this fundraising goes some way to express the gratitude I have.

Five years on feels like an appropriate time to take on a bigger challenge so on May 10th, I embark on a 1600km / 1000mile cycle ride from Land’s End to John O’Groats to fundraise for Headway Essex

I will be fully funding the ride so all money raised here will go directly to Headway Essex so please show your support by sponsoring this very worthy charity.

Someone asked me, “why didn’t you just give the cost of the ride to charity?”

A good question and I could have done that and saved myself the pain of what I am expecting to be a very tough ride, but that easy option would not have allowed me to:

- Prove to myself that the incident did not take everything away

- Emphasise that there is life – and quality of life – after brain injury

- Give you lovely people the opportunity to show your support to this very worthy charity

- See the English, Welsh, and Scottish countryside

I have just joined Headway Essex as a trustee, helping ensure they continue to deliver the life changing support they provides.