Mark, Sam, Fred & John - an elite bunch of over-optimistic middle-aged "athletes" - are taking part in the Scotland Coast-to-Coast race where we will run (34km), mountain bike (125km) and kayak (1.6km) our way across Scotland from Inverness to Fort William over 2 days.

It's called a "race" but our aim is simply to finish it! It promises to be beautiful and brutal in equal measures.

Why are we fundraising for this particular charity?

Just over a year ago Mark's wife, Tess was told she had eye cancer. Within 2 weeks she was lucky (if that's the right word) enough to have expert surgery to remove the tumour (along with her left eye). Her story can be read here: https://www.thetimes.com/life-style/health-fitness/article/first-person-eye-cancer-experience-08mqvwcfq

Having experienced close-up the literally life-saving qualities of eye cancer specialists, Mark is honoured to be able to help fundraise for the Victoria Cohen Eye Cancer Charitable Trust.

They are a small charity with modest, but important, goals. They want to raise awareness of eye cancer, and to help those with the skill, but not the means, to become eye cancer specialists - particularly in developing parts of the world.

They have next-to-no costs, so all donations make a real difference. You can see where the money goes and can follow the careers of the Victoria Cohen Scholarship recipients.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.