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 Air Ambulance UK and Headway UK

Every 90 seconds, someone is admitted to a UK hospital with a brain injury - and the effects of a brain injury can be life-changing and life-long. That’s why, when the unthinkable happens, expert help is vital. Headway UK – the brain injury association is here to support survivors, their families and carers, every step of the way.

I will be fully funding the ride so all money raised will go directly to Air Ambulance UK and Headway UK so please show your support by sponsoring one or both of these very worthy charities. Both are funded by people’s generosity as they receive no government funding.

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 these very worthy charities

- See the English, Welsh, and Scottish countryside