You’ll need to use your imagination.

Picture six 330ml soft drink cans stacked into a pyramid. That’s around 2 litres.

Now imagine those six cans sitting inside your body, below your ribs. That is five more cans than an average healthy person would have in them. That is the size of Michael’s kidneys, enlarged by Polycystic Kidney Disease, or PKD — a cruel, inherited condition that causes the kidneys to grow larger and larger each year, while kidney function steadily declines.

Sadly, the growth in size goes hand in hand with loss of function. We now expect Michael to need dialysis, or ideally a kidney transplant, by late 2027 or early 2028. His soulmate of 40 years, Heather, has bravely offered one of her kidneys, and her blood type makes her a potential donor. Michael knows all too well what this disease can do, having already lost both his mother and an uncle to PKD.

Before this disease forces us to stop these mad adventures, we are setting out on a very special challenge: cycling from Lizard Point to Dunnet Head, the southernmost and northernmost points on mainland UK, via Land’s End to John O’Groats. And along the way we are raising funds for the PKD Charity.

We are not doing this alone. We are incredibly lucky to have Bruce with us every step of the way, with others including Almero, James, Andrew, Tanya and Chris joining to cycle with us and support us whenever they can. Their generosity, encouragement and friendship mean the world to us.

But a challenge like this cannot be done without support. We are deeply grateful to Biophys Ltd, Disperazol Pharma, Vikings Fisheries Ltd, Fulhold Pharma Ltd, and the University of Highlands and Islands Academy of Sport and Wellbeing in Perth for their financial, practical and media support.

Heather, Arlene and Michael