Give young people with CMT the opportunity to enjoy new physical activities by sponsoring me to cycle from Cambridge, through London, to central Paris. To learn more about the disease and why I’m undertaking this challenge, read on.

What is CMT?

CMT, or Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, is the most common inherited nerve disorder, affecting over 20,000 people in the UK. It begins in childhood with irreversible progressive weakening, loss of muscle and loss of sensation in the lower legs, then the hands. It can go on to affect breathing, swallowing and speech, and is frequently accompanied by fatigue and neuropathic pain.

How does CMT affect people?

As someone with CMT, for me the most difficult effects of CMT are the day-to-day ones: a “characteristic” gait, needing to use two hands to pick up a pint of beer, being unable to button a shirt or struggling to turn the pages of a book. The mental and physical challenges of cycling have for me become an important part of feeling “normal”. Relying on the big muscles close to my spine, which still work well, cycling is a key way to keep myself strong and enjoy exercise and personal achievement.

Who are CMT United Kingdom and what do they do?

CMT United Kingdom is the national charity supporting those affected by the disease. It has organised Young People's Events for many years, providing support for kids growing up with CMT. These valuable activity weekends allow teenagers with CMT to experience challenges & personal achievements that they may not normally have the chance to enjoy.

What opportunities will your donation give young people?

If you sponsor me, CMT United Kingdom will use the donation to give teenagers with CMT the chance to experience the same thrills I get from the challenges of cycling.

Why I am cycling from Cambridge, via London to Paris?

I will be cycling between the medical homes of CMT’s discoverers, Drs Charcot, Marie and Tooth. The ride, which coincides with the 2011 CMT Awareness Event, will take me from St John’s College in Cambridge, where Tooth began his studies, to St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London (where they were completed), then on to the Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris, home of Charcot and Marie. The 350 miles will be completed in three and a half days to raise money to fund CMT United Kingdom’s Young People’s Events.

How will I to do this?

Contrary to some belief, the terrain between Cambridge & Paris is far from flat and the trip will include around 6000 vertical metres of climbing. Martin Willitts (friend) & Steven Ramsay (brother in-law) will be riding with me, helping me with the hills, the wind, the motivation and the maintenance of an appropriate sense of humour. Driving our supplies between stops, and providing valuable moral support will be my brother Matt Dettmar, a fellow CMTer, and friend Nic Dent.

What I’d like you to do

Every CMT United Kingdom Young People’s Event costs £3000. Please sponsor me generously to help give young people with CMT the opportunity to experience the thrill of new activities and challenges for at least the next 3 years.

When?

The challenge starts in Cambridge on Tuesday 20th September and finishes in Paris on Friday 23^rd September.