Last year I started fundraising for the Alzheimer's Society and raised almost £1000 through various cycling and running endeavours. This year I want to go one better and try to beat the £1000.

For those of you who don't know my mother was diagnosed with Alzheimers back in 2009 and the help and support that the Alzheimer's Society gave both me and my family in the following weeks, months and years was invaluable. They helped us through the difficult times by providing someone to talk too, giving practical advice and ultimately simply being there.

So what do I have planned for 2013?

Challenge 1

Well first up, thanks to a conversation with Ricky Turner, I agreed that if we could raise £1000 of my £1,300 target by March 31st 2013 then I would shave my hair off. Yep that long hair that I have had for half a lifetime will go in five minutes flat.. Ouch, but all for a hugely worthwhile cause. Completed Yep the hair has gone and I am now extremely streamlined and aerodynamic

Challenge 2

April 7 – Spennymoor Sportive:- 100km bike ride round Weardale with 5,000 ft of climbing. Completed in 4 hrs 52 minutes

Challenge 3

April 13 – Velo 29 Daffodil Sportive:- 60km bike ride round North Yorks Moors. Completed in 2hrs 18 minutes

Challenge 4

April 21 – Stockton Duathlon:- 5km Run, 20km bike, 2.5km run. Completed in 1hr 18 minutes

Challenge 5

April 28 – Sunderland City 10km run. Completed in 52 minutes 44 seconds

Challenge 6

May 19 – Tees Valley Sportive. 80km bike ride through North Yorks Moors Completed in 3 hrs 7 minutes

Challenge 7

June 8 & 9 – C2C Bike Ride. 220km bike ride from Whitehaven in Cumbria to Sunderland with circa 11,000 ft of climbing, ridden over two days. Completed in 10 hrs 18 minutes

Challenge 8

June 23 – Great North 10k run. Completed in 50 minutes 48 seconds

Challenge 9

June 29  – Virgin Money Cyclone. 100km bike ride through Northumberland with circa 4,500 ft of climbing. Completed in 3 hrs 41 minutes

Challenge 10

July 6  – Velo 29 Altura Endeavour Sportive. 100km bike ride through North Yorks Moors 5,500 ft of climbing. Completed in 4 hrs 13 minutes

Challenge 11

August 4  – Wiggle Northern Angel Sportive. 100km bike ride through Northumberland National Park with circa 4,000 ft of climbing

Challenge 12

August 25  – Great North Bike Ride. 100km bike ride from Seahouses - Tynemouth

Challenge 13

September 1  – Wiggle Malvern Mad Hatter Sportive. 160km bike ride round the Malvern Hills with circa 5,200ft of climbing

Challenge 14

September 5 – 8 London – Brussels bike ride. Circa 300 miles through England, France & Belgium over three days

Challenge 15

September 14 – Tour Ride Scotland. 100 mile bike ride taking in the Scottish stage of this year’s Tour Of Britain

Challenge 16

September 15 – The Great North Run – the world’s most iconic half marathon starting in Newcastle & finishing in South Shields

Challenge 17

October 5 – Kielder Marathon Run Bike Run. 11km run followed by 25km bike ride and finally another 6km run making up a full marathon distance

So that’s it to date, 17 challenges, lots of miles and probably a few tears. Updates will be posted here regularly on future plans and challenges throughout the year and hopefully I can raise a bucket load of money and help many other people who are in the same situation as we were

How your fundraising will help

£12.50 could enable one caller to the Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Helpline to receive the advice and support they need. 

£50 could pay for a PhD researcher for a day to continue vital research into understanding the causes of dementia.

£100 could pay for a brain scan for a participant in a clinical trial to help improve diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease. 

£750 could pay for the running of Talking Point for one week. Talking point is our 24/7 online community for people with dementia, their carers, family and friends

£1,509 could pay for the running of a Dementia Café for one week. 

£2,000 could support over 10,000 families with vital advice on how to talk to children about dementia with the Society's award -winning "Talking To Children About Your Illness"

Thanks 

Steve