So the challenge I’m undertaking is to cycle through all regions of Italy, spending 5-10 days in every region, taking my time to explore.

Long story short, I left work in August 2024 to spend more time with family and achieve some personal goals. Visiting more of my Italian family (on my mum’s side), learning to speak fluent Italian and seeing all of Italy were three of those. I figured the best way to get around flexibly, ride off the beaten path, and park up anywhere was by bicycle. I also wanted a physical challenge instead of driving everywhere. Of course not having a job or regular income had nothing to do with that decision…

I’ve been learning Italian with my mum for the past few years, and little by little, have got… somewhere. It’s now time to immerse myself. Even though I’ll be alone on the bike for most of the day… there will still be the need to speak Italian daily.

I wanted to raise money for something meaningful, and one of the most meaningful things to me is my Mum, who I’m extremely sad to say, developed Lobular Breast Cancer, but thankfully through surgery and hormone therapy, she has recovered.

Lobular breast cancer (LBC) or invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) is the second most common form of breast cancer, and it is diagnosed in up to 15% of all cancer cases. LBC can be difficult to detect and diagnose because of its unique characteristics and growth patterns. It can also be missed on mammogram scans. More research is needed into LBC.

The Manchester Breast Centre, established in 2005, aims to promote collaborative working among breast cancer specialists in Manchester, underpinning research and allowing access to a wide range of state of the art facilities. Across the centre, world-class scientists and clinicians are working together to ensure their research makes as big an impact as possible, as fast as possible. The Manchester Breast Centre is working closely with the Lobular Moon Shot Project to establish a programme of research focused on Lobular Breast Cancer to find specific and effective treatments that will benefit patients with this form of breast cancer.