This summer I’m cycling 9000km across the Silk Road and Central Asia.

Whilst I’ve wanted to do this trip for a couple of years, last October the journey took on new significance. My dad, Graham, died of a heart attack whilst cycling in the Lake District. Having retired a few years previously, he was living life exactly as it should be lived: with vigour and ambition. Dad took a keen interest in the trip, and secretly I think he would have done anything to drop it all and join me.  

Therefore, I will doing this trip in his memory and will be raising money for the North West Air Ambulance, who did everything they could to save him. The heart attack happened in the middle of nowhere – Hardknott Pass – and despite this, a doctor was on site via helicopter within an hour. It was a small but significant comfort knowing that everything possible had been done – it was simply Dad’s time.  

However, the North West Air Ambulance receive no public funding – they rely entirely on donations. They provide a vital service for their community and I want to do my part to help keep them going.  Therefore, I will give every single pound I raise for this journey to the North West Air Ambulance, in order to give back the same comfort and lifeline that I was given last year. I’ve set up a JustGiving page, with the link in the bio. Any donation, big or small is appreciated. Let’s keep this incredible initiative going.