Dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s 2018. Before his diagnosis, Dad was the life and soul of any party, was lead singer in a band and was a life long Beatles fan. He was also a hardcore mountaineer and dedicated his life to helping babies with cleft lip world wide, achieving a CBE for his work.

The speed of deterioration was sadly very quick and he went into care in 2023. He is now bedridden and unable to talk but occasionally gives us a smile. He was such a great man and it’s heartbreaking to see him suffering like this.

Although a keen cyclist, this ride is way outside of my comfort zone and that’s why I’m doing this ride for Dad. 600km in as close to 24 hours as possible. Maximum 3 hours sleep, possibly none. A LONG DAY.

I really appreciate you supporting me and this charity. You will be making a difference.

POST RIDE UPDATE

Hi everyone,

I have some good news and some bad news. The good news? The challenge is complete, and we smashed the not very ambitious £500 target! The bad news? I may never sit down comfortably again.

The ride was obviously tough, made even tougher by a relentless headwind across Lincolnshire and Leicestershire that felt like cycling through wet cement.

Just to keep things spicy, my Garmin decided to die in the middle of the night. Leaving me trying to navigate pitch-black country lanes using my phone. I didn’t think I’d break my sub-24-hour target, but I managed to wobble home with a grand total of 20 minutes to spare!

Honestly, thinking of Dad and reading your amazing messages kept me pedalling. It genuinely felt like a firm hand on my back pushing me along (or maybe that was just the wind finally changing direction).

It has been an emotional, sweaty rollercoaster, but I am totally blown away by your generosity and love.

Thank you all so much.