Long Story Short;

• I got a bike in lockdown
• I started volunteering for an amazing charity called the wave project
• I signed up to a ridiculously long bike race after a few beers
• I will be riding somewhere between 14-16 hours a day
• It would be wonderful if I can raise £10, £100, or even £1000 for the Wave project through my pain.

Short Story Long;

Firstly I am not a cyclist. 

Secondly it seemed like a great idea when I signed up in the pub. A self supported 1020 mile ultra endurance bike race around Ireland, having never even ridden more than 100km.

I have no idea what I am doing, but I hope you might be able to spare a few quid to make enduring the blowy Irish weather, cramp, bum sores and sleep deprivation worthwhile. 

I purchased a bike in lockdown and fell in love with the freedom to explore on two wheels with my camera. It had a huge positive impact on my mental health and I wanted to use this new found love of two wheels for good.

Last year I started volunteering with the Wave Project, an amazing charity that uses surfing to provide support to children and young people who experience a range of physical and mental health issues, social deprivation or social isolation. 

Having worked first hand as a mentor it has been amazing to see how surfing can be used to build confidence and self-esteem, develop resilience, and help the young people make new friends.

And the race itself? It's 1020 miles completely self supported. Everyone starts in the same place, follows the same route around Ireland, and first one to the end wins. No support teams, carry what you can and sleep where you fall.

It sounds much worse now I have written it down.

Ideally I would raise £1 for every mile that I cycle. That is a lofty goal of £1020, and would be enough to fund a young person through a full therapy course.