The Ruth Strauss Foundation is a charity that supports children and families who are facing the loss of a parent, and the Ride for Ruth is their inaugural fundraising 127km ride.

When I was 14 my Dad was diagnosed with a malignant melanoma, a recurrence of the disease he had in his twenties, and shortly after I turned 15 in 2002 he died. My brother was 12 and my sister was 10. He was 45.

It is the single most impactful event of my life to date, and has coloured everything that has followed. It’s something that 24 years on I think about most days, and I dearly hope is the greatest trauma I ever have to deal with. I don’t suppose there is a good age for a boy to lose his father (75 perhaps?!), but it isn’t 15.

I don’t remember a great deal about the 6 months after his diagnosis. I was at boarding school, and either not old enough to process, or unwilling to even acknowledge the concept Dad might not always be here. He once tried to explain that his current treatment might not work, and I just said ‘but there’s lots of treatments, so then you’ll just try another one’. Because he was my Dad and he was invincible.

How can you prepare children for an event that will hurt for the rest of their lives? I have no idea. I was blessed to have people in my corner who walked with me through it before, and for years after. Many kids aren’t so fortunate.

This charity is so important, am delighted to be supporting them, and would appreciate any additional support if you’re reading this.