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1,000 mile cycle honours bravery of breast cancer survivor

While on holiday with friends and family, my wife Suzanne discovered a lump on her breast.  After returning home she went to the doctors and was referred immediately to the Breast Care Unit at Blackpool Victoria Hospital.

After tests and a biopsy, we were given the devastating news in December 2013 that it was cancer.  She was diagnosed with Ductal Carcinoma Grade 3.  Our world seemed to fall apart at that moment. She was later also diagnosed as ER positive.

Suzanne had her operation on Christmas Eve that year to remove the lump.  We then had to wait an agonising two weeks over christmas and New Year to find out whether the cancer had spread or not.

Following her operation she then had to undergo months of chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy to increase her chances of this awful disease not returning.  But throughout it all she showed great courage and strength and I am extremely proud of her.

The great care and treatment she received from all the Doctors, Nurses and staff at the Breast Care Unit and Oncology was amazing, they and Suzanne's heroic journey has inspired me to give something back as a way of saying thank you.

Being a keen cyclist, myself and four of my race team mates Graham McMurray, Daniel Eden, Nicholas Hunt and Austin Aldred from Bella In Sella Racing came up with the idea of doing the "Le Jog".  However we have set ourselves the challenge to take on the grueling 1,000 mile cycle race from Lands' End to John O'Groats in just five days, averaging 200 miles a day.  We have chosen the toughest challenge we could do because we know how hard it’s been for Suzanne. But no matter what level of pain we are in, and how tough we find it, it’ll be nothing compared to what she went through.

We are keen to raise as much money as possible for a local charity "Hint Of Pink" which provides much needed equipment and support for the Breast Care unit at Blackpool Victoria Hospital through the hospital charity  Blue Skies Hospital Fund.

They are raising money specifically at the moment for a Faxitron machine, which will allow surgeons to exam skin and tissue removed from the body in the operating theatre, reducing the waiting time between the operation and diagnosis. 

Myself, Suzanne and the Bella race team will also be holding break-out fundraising events in support of 'Hug in a Bag', Blackpool, which provides every person diagnosed with breast cancer at Blackpool Victoria Hospital one more hug in the form of a bag containing gifts and information leaflets.  Which also meant a great deal to my wife when first diagnosed.