This August, in memory of my mum's life, I will be cycling over 1000 miles from my family home in Bedford to the city of Barcelona.

By doing this cycle, I hope to spread awareness about ovarian cancer and raise some valuable funds to help other women suffering with the disease. Ovarian cancer kills 4000 women every year and can be very dangerous if not caught early. However, many women don't know what the the symptoms are. For example, just one in five UK women (20 per cent) can name bloating as one of the main symptoms of ovarian cancer. This means that over a quarter of women with ovarian cancer (27 per cent) are diagnosed at A&E - often when it is far too late for effective treatment. 

My mum's cancer was caught fairly early and at low stage of the disease. Following a complex operation which removed a huge tumor from her ovary (something akin to a small football), a few blasts of chemo, and some good rest, we thought we had been the lucky ones. However, after only a few months of being in remission, thinking it was all behind us, we found out in January 2020 that my mum's cancer was back and it was likely to not go away. By May 3rd that year, after several rounds of emergency treatment and a faint hope of a new trial drug working a miracle, I lost my mum to the disease - tragically we were unable to say goodbye properly at the hospital because of Covid restrictions. 

She was only 59, but my mum had lived an incredible life. She moved to France at the age of 18. Learnt French fluently and lived her best life. Later, she lived and worked in both Tunisia and Italy - where she met my dad. After having me and my brother, she didn't lose her love of travel. She taught me how to ski, and then taught herself how to snowboard. She organised countless holidays, always wanting to go somewhere new and exciting. Memories of her in New York, Singapore, and Istanbul will be with me forever. 

My mum's sense of adventure and love of travel is something that I will always remember her for and I am very grateful to her for showing to me. Therefore, I can't think of a better way to honour her than making an epic journey across a country she loved so dearly. 

I will start the 17 day trip with my brother Rob. The first leg will take us across the south of England to Portsmouth - stopping for a night outside Reading. Leaving Rob behind, I will cross the channel by ferry to Caen. From there, hundreds of miles of French countryside await. I will pass down the west side of the country, attempting at least 60 miles a day. My nights will be spent mostly in campsites, wild camping, and maybe the occasional airbnb. Thankfully, my Dad will be driving down the country with me and we plan to meet up every few days. 

The final stretch of the journey will be the biggest test. Taking the mountain road across the Pyrenees, I will cross over into Spain, skirting past Andora, and, all being well, making the final decent into Barcelona. 

Any support you can give will be so appreciated and go to such a good cause! Thank you. 

Greg