From 1st -3rd October, I’ll be taking on a big challenge with some close friends and family – riding from Bilboa to Madrid over three days, covering 300 miles and 16,219 ft of elevation!

The ride is being organised by O’Brien Contractors to raise money for the O’Brien Charitable Trust, which supports several charities, local causes and community projects.

I’m not sure I fully appreciated what I was signing up for this time last year, but after a lot of training (and sore legs) I’m ready to take on the challenge.

There’s also a more personal reason behind doing it this year – My brother and I (who will also be taking part in the ride) lost our dad at the start of the year, Dad would have been incredibly proud to see the two of us completing a challenge like this together which will be a massive source of motivation (although I’m pretty sure he’d have left the challenge to us)

My partner and our little boy Louis will be following us along the way cheering us on, and when we finally arrive in Madrid we’ll be celebrating Louis’s first birthday… which will be a great way to end a brilliant (and painful) few days!

It’s going to be a tough three days, but an unforgettable experience for a cause that’s well worth the effort.

Any donation, big or small, would mean a huge amount. Thank you for supporting us – Madrid, here we come!