Hi everyone

At the start of this year, after struggling to throw a rugby ball around with the kids, I realised that I was overweight and unfit. My blood pressure was up and and my cholesterol not far behind it! 

Something needed to change.

So I dusted off the Giant bike in the garage, got the rest of the gear and joined the ranks of the "MAMILs" ( that's middle aged men in Lycra, for the uninitiated).

With those first few miles of puffing, panting and the occasional vomit, came the thought that I needed a challenge.

The Raid Alpine is one such epic road biking challenge. It starts in Geneva and finishes in Nice. That's 712km, including 31 cols ( biking speak for mountain pass) and 17 485m of climbing.

The second challenge is to raise money for a very important charity (Bowel Cancer UK). As a Liver Surgeon, I operate on many people with bowel cancer that has spread to the liver. Bowel cancer is Northern Ireland's second biggest cancer killer. Over 1,100 people are diagnosed with the disease every year. Over 400 people die from bowel cancer each year in Northern Ireland, despite the fact that it is very treatable if caught early. Major advances in liver surgery have helped to improve survival in patients with cancer spread to the liver. However, we need to continue to research, educate and develop new strategies in the management of bowel cancer.

Bowel Cancer UK have been instrumental in highlighting this disease in Northern Ireland with campaigns to raise awareness of bowel cancer, campaigning for best treatment and care and providing practical support and advice.

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.

So please dig deep and donate now.