This has been particularly difficult to write. Firstly because both Simon and I are intensely private people and secondly because it is really difficult to describe something so emotional in a manner that fully expresses how we feel. This week I had my last appointment at the Cavendish Cancer Care Centre. Many of you will already be aware that in September 2014 we had the devastating news that Simon’s cancer had come back. I don't want to go into details of that particular journey now but suffice to say the nodules were removed in July last year and so far so good there has been no reappearance.

  Coming to terms with this latest diagnosis and moving forward with life in a normal way has been difficult for both of us – this is where the Cavendish Centre came in. It is a charity based in Sheffield that is ‘dedicated to improving the quality of life for people living with cancer in South Yorkshire, North Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire’. It is hard to articulate how much they have helped us but we both agree that they have enabled us to transition from the hardest part of our lives so far to being happier then we can remember ever being – even before the diagnosis!

So where am I going with this? Well we were provided with all of this help and support completely free of charge and to keep going the charity is reliant on donations and fundraising. So I figured I would have to do something worthy of people being willing to part with some funds to contribute to this fantastic cause…. This summer I plan to cycle up the Alpe d’huez. This is one of the famous mountain climbs from the Tour de France that features 21 hairpin bends before you reach the summit. I have never attempted anything like this before – needless to say, it will be very difficult. The climb itself is 9 miles long, 9 miles of continuously cycling uphill! I started training in January but have the added challenge of some extra mince pie/cake/chocolate weight still to loose – 20lbs to be precise. Any excess weight I will have to drag up a mountain so makes sense to shed what I can! Initially I have been focusing on running to try and get a minimum level of fitness before I start going out for longer rides on the bike. I will be setting up a group page where you can follow my journey and preparations for the challenge which are just starting to ramp up.

Thank you for taking the time to read about my fundraising. We are hoping to raise a minimum of £750 as this will cover the support that Simon and I both received but ideally we would like to raise more to help others who are similarly struggling. If you live locally and are affected by cancer or know some one who is that may benefit from this charity please let them know. I guarantee they won't regret it. www.cavcare.org.uk

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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.