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Our team (John Hewitt; Chris Burns; Pete Craske; Neil Anslow; Simon Bodman; Phil Craske; Nathan Stacey; Stu Whiting) of 8 close friends and family are attempting to raise as much money as possible for Bowel Cancer UK by completing Prudential RideLondon 2016 - a gruelling 100 mile bike ride!

In July 2015, aged 32, I was diagnosed with bowel cancer. This came as a total shock, and neither myself or specialists expected this diagnosis. My symptoms had been relatively manageable and I did not feel unwell, but despite this, my cancer was already advanced at stage 3, meaning I had a significant tumour in my large intestine and this was spreading to nearby lymph nodes. My wife, Katie, and I were devastated, especially as she was 3 months pregnant with our second child.

Despite undergoing initial chemo and radiotherapy, further scans in November found that the cancer had spread to my liver, lung and peritoneum (lining of the abdomen) and I am now completing further courses of systemic chemotherapy combined with targeted biological therapies in a hunt to find the right drugs that will slow down the cancer growth and hopefully shrink the tumours. It is believed that my cancer is caused by a rare condition called Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). FAP can run in families, but can also affect people who don’t have a family history of it (which is what happened in my case). The fact that I have FAP means that my two sons (currently aged 23 months and 6 weeks old) are at risk of inheriting the condition and they will require regular screening during their lives.

As a result of all this, I have become very aware of the great work completed by charities such as Bowel Cancer UK. Their aim is to save lives by raising awareness, campaigning for best treatment and care and providing practical support and advice. In particular, their 'Never Too Young' campaign attempts to overcome the fact that younger bowel cancer patients (under 50s) experience delays in diagnosis; screening is extremely limited and inconsistent; and younger patients are not receiving the information and support they need. I pray that they never need it, but one day, their research, may help my sons.

Of varying ability and experience, several of the team have had to buy a bike specifically for this cause which gives an indication of the challenge we are taking on! Not to mention that my training is taking place in between chemotherapy sessions (and the delightful side effects!)...and trying to spend precious time with my young family and my rock, my wife.

I am determined to raise as much awareness as possible for Bowel Cancer UK and so very grateful to the rest of the team in supporting me with this. We would be hugely grateful for any donations to support our aim of raising at least £5,000 for this great cause.