THE REASON…

We can become quite flippant about hearing the word ´Cancer’ until you hear it being applied to someone you know, someone close to you. We know now that 1 in 2 people will have some experience of Cancer, but we still think ‘it won’t happen to me’……

The three of us are now all over 50, and it is happening all around us. Most recently Kerry’s daughter-in-law, Maria, was diagnosed with cervical cancer. It was very late, negligently late, being diagnosed, and so she is now undergoing her second round of Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy in Levanger, Norway. She is in her 40’s, with two young children, a husband and many many good friends but…

…Like most people, ultimately you enter into the unknown alone. Despite those around you offering support, it is only you who must undergo treatment and deal with the fear and dread in your head. The rest of us feel helpless…..

But we can show you all support, strength, and love by doing what we do best - taking on a challenge and in doing so identifying a UK charity, The Eve Appeal https://eveappeal.org.uk/ that funds research and awareness-raising of the five gynaecological cancers - womb, ovarian, cervical, vulval and vaginal. This is a UK charity - so as we are crossing borders here, it is important that we also highlight the NORWEGIAN CANCER SOCIETY, especially the Gynae section, and ask if you donate, you chose where you want your funds to go:

https://www.gynkreftforeningen.no/vare-tilbud/likepersonstjenesten

THE CHALLENGE (for our vulvas….!!!!)

So, starting from Trondheim (Nidaros) Cathedral (often the spiritual end of the Olavsleden for some, but also Maria’s closest large city, and the city in which she received her first round of treatment) the three of us Kerry (56), Margo (51) and Penny (61) will begin our journey. On hired bikes we aim to start at the Atlantic Ocean in the West and cover 50-60 miles a day. The route takes us via Stiklestad, across mountains and lakes into Sweden, following the most northerly Pilgrim Trail in the World, Olavsleden, to Selanger in Sweden, finally to the Baltic Sea in the East. We will be completely unsupported, and travel with a bike pack only. Our bike maintenance skills are limited but our communication skills are excellent, with Penny even having some Swedish language skills to bring across the border. This started as an embryonic idea a long time ago, but has now taken on meaning and substance because this is no longer about us, this is about raising awareness for Maria, cervical cancer and everyone else who has had to face this disease which rids you of confidence and hope. Raising money for cancer research would be a fantastic by-product of this awful experience, but raising awareness, hope and bringing a little brightness to lives would be an awesome result too.