This year I’ve made the decision to take part in the Tour De Moor which takes place at the end of September in support of St Luke’s Hospice.

For those that don’t know, I’ve been a keen biker for a number of years now and spending time at places like Haldon Forrest is something that keeps me just a little bit sane!

Generally I started out riding trails and then branched off into more freeriding and enduro style riding, so I’m not much of a cross country (XC) rider or anyone to withstand a huge trek across Dartmoor!What will make it more of a challenge is that I will be having to do it on my mullet bike (which is designed to have two different sized wheels), as I refuse to use my E-bike and my original bike is still split between Bristol and Cornwall getting the carbon frame repaired… yes, I broke it. Mullet bikes are great fun to throw around a forest and brilliant for weight positioning on technical descents, but they’re a lot harder on the climb and slower on the flat… so not ideal, but what’s another challenge?

Either way, I’m sure an enduro bike will have some advantages….

Going right back to the beginning, I had a brief spell with illness and during recovery I decided to make a few changes to finally better myself and my health. This was the point I bought my first bike from a dodgy bloke In Plymouth… enough said… and also the point I thought my Dad would have a good laugh at me, but to my surprise he thought it was a great idea.

Fast forward a number of years and I ended up developing a strong addiction and passion for it, where I am constantly trying to better myself and the performance of my various bikes. I have a habit of taking them apart more times than I can remember!

After my Dad passed away I felt I had to pack it all in and I started selling everything I owned as I couldn’t really see how I would be able to continue riding with working 6 days a week and having no holiday time, plus having other family commitments too. This was a decision I didn’t make easily but at the time I thought it would be better to kick myself while I was down, thinking that after losing dad and having to deal with the repercussions of his home and business, it might not hurt as much to quit. Well I was completely wrong there… I always used my bike as a way of forgetting about life for a few hours, transferring thoughts instead to keep me from not face planting a tree or falling off the side of a descent at the edge of the forest.

It was on what would’ve been my Dad’s 70th Birthday last year that I decided I would keep riding and so upon visiting him I made him a promise that I would not only keep with it, but that I would push myself to my absolute limit and enjoy the freedom that so many new skills can bring to the journey. If I get the jitters on a new segment or drop then I always tell myself to do it for my Dad. It works every time.

My Dad was always telling me to try something different with my riding but I was always set on what I love to do… I still am. Because of this, I will be riding the 53km route in memory of my wonderful Dad, hopefully giving him a break from seeing me falling off at speed or going over the bars from being too reckless… or just stupid!

As you all know my Dad had end of life care at Derriford Hospital, as moving him to somewhere like St Luke’s wasn’t an option as he wasn’t stable enough without life support. If things were different for him, or if his Stroke wasn’t so severe, I know they would’ve helped him until the end without any complaints. So, I figured that if I could try to raise some money for them to help them continue to do the wonderful work they do, then that’s just another added bonus.

Like numerous other charities, St Luke’s is one charity we all hope we’ll never need, but we need to help them to support others in their time of need.

If every participant was to raise £100, collectively we will raise enough money to provide end of life care at home for 100 families.

If anyone feels like they would like to support or if you have a connection to the charity in a personal way, then any amount will be greatly appreciated by so many people… including myself, as I try not to get lost on Dartmoor!

Thank you!