Starting in June, I'll be cycling from Vienna to Bristol for UNICEF.

Why am I doing it? Cycling long distance is something I've always wanted to do, it's  been in the back of my mind for a while but I've never actually taken steps to make it a reality. Until now. For years my Dad has told me stories of camping in the Alps and the Pyrenees, or going on cycle tours in England, and it used to irritate me slightly that I'd probably never be able to do it, to tell my children those stories... until around this time last year, when it occurred to me that, yes, it is actually possible. I was always an alright cyclist, and on the strength of a few trips from Bristol to Cardiff I decided that I was capable of doing a big tour.

A year later, I'm just over two weeks away from the start of my trip. It's actually going to happen; it's not a distant dream anymore. I'm going to cycle 1,600 miles, and hopefully, raise a decent sum for UNICEF, (an absolutely phenomenal charity) along the way. A lot of you will know that I had fairly major surgery on my right leg in January, so the fact that I've only started to walk properly this month should add another dimension to the trip. All in all, it's quite a big ask.

I'll be starting in a Viennese park (the Währinger Schubertpark, for those interested) designed by my great-grandfather, Karl, so there's a nice bit of symbolism there.

(For context, the Austrian side of my family migrated to the UK prior to World War II, supposedly because Karl Dirnhuber was a suspected communist with a Jewish wife. There's a bit more to the story than that, but the family aspect was one of the reasons why I chose Vienna as the starting point).

I chose UNICEF because it's a charity that not only uses its money effectively, and does genuine good with it. I'm under no illusions that I've been very, very fortunate to have the life that I do, and there are millions of children out there who deserve better. If my trip can help me by fulfilling a dream, it would be bloody selfish of me to pass up the opportunity to use it to help others by raising money for a charity that has been an undeniable force for good in the past 70-odd years.

Here's UNICEF's price list to give you a vague idea of what they do:

£15 = Vitamin sprinkles for two toddlers for a whole year, helping them to grow healthy and strong.

£11.50 = Polio vaccines to protect 100 children from this highly contagious viral infection.

£18 = Five footballs for children to play, exercise and have fun with.

£23.50 = all of the midwifery equipment necessary for the safe delivery of one baby.

£39.50 = HIV tests for 50 mums-to-be, helping more babies be born free from HIV.

£90 = A water pump for a community, providing clean, safe drinking water.

£150 = A school-in-a-box, helping at least 40 children continue their education in times of emergency and conflict.

£1965 = A motorbike to help health workers reach children in remote communities.

Don't hesitate to ask if you have any further questions, and please give generously, if you can spare it.