Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Like many, my life has been impacted as a result of family members, work colleagues and friends suffering with cancer.  It targets people indiscriminately; young and old alike and can be merciless.  It impacts not only the sufferer, but their families and friends and it can change lives brutally and immediately as well as causing suffering over prolonged periods of time.  Everyone knows somebody fighting with some form of cancer.

It's time we found a way to stop it ... and that is what this challenge and fundraising effort is about helping Cancer Research UK achieve.

To pay homage to the fight the scientists are waging against cancer, I have selected a task which I will find physically and mentally demanding, which I trust will deserve support from anyone and everyone who is able and willing to donate.  

My objective is to cycle the equivalent of travelling around the world's circumference, 40,075 kms (24,301 miles).  I am doing this on my exercise bike with a 75% resistance setting, making it equivalent to cycling up a steep incline so I have to pedal every single metre (when I stop pushing the pedals come to a halt in less than 1 rotation, so there’s no freewheeling and there are no gears, unlike a road bike, so I can’t take advantage of going at high speed).  I am doing this besides work and my family life, with an initial target set of cycling an average of 150-175 kms per week on my exercise cycle.

I've already started the challenge as at 30.06.2020 and have identified that cycling between 25-35 kms per day is achievable with  a target of 5-6 days per week of activity, allowing time for any injuries (strains), illness or periods where I am unable to cycle (i.e. work trips).  It takes me approximately 1 hour (60 minutes) to cycle 30 kms, so at that rate I will be cycling for 5-6 hrs per week, or an eye watering 1,336 hours across the entire challenge - that's equivalent to 55.67 days (virtually 2 months) of solid cycling!

Based on completing 150 kms per week, I can complete the challenge and will cycle around the world in 267 weeks (5.13 years).  If I can cycle 175 kms per week I can complete my around the world challenge in 229 weeks (4.40 years).  

For me it's as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one.  Before taking on this challenge I completed a 1,000,000 metre running challenge, equivalent to running 23.81 marathons in 7.25 months; that's 3.28 marathons per month (not bad for a non-runner who started aged 50!)  It was great preparation for this challenge and I'm now well attuned with the mindset to persist and push on when I don't really feel like making the effort (I'm sure you'll know what those days can feel like!)  I also have to say, I've quickly become 'hooked' on the sense of achievement that each completed session gives, which ultimately makes any challenge enjoyable.  This around-the-world challenge may be over a much longer duration and greater distance, but I know the mindset and determination I used for the million metre challenge will get me there.

I'd really appreciate your support to give the scientists at Cancer Research the chance to stop cancer affecting 18m lives per year worldwide currently (2018 statistics from Worldwide Cancer Research Fund), before it gets to the 40m lives per year it is estimated to affect by 2040.  My goal is to raise a minimum of £10,000, but I hope it far exceeds that amount.

Whilst I have participated in other fundraising events for charity over a number of years, this is the first time I have done something on my own, so I'd like to say many thanks in advance for your kind support - it is appreciated.

Your Donation: Celebrating, Supporting or in Memory of Someone?

When you’re donating, would you like to add the name of someone your donation(s) is for?  Whether you are celebrating someone who has beaten cancer and has it in remission, supporting someone who is battling it or are donating in memory of someone you’ve lost through cancer, just let me know.  I’ll add their name to the list of people the challenge is honouring and will update and post this list regularly via this JustGiving page for everyone to see (in the Gallery) as well as on my social media (links below).

Business Owners / Managers: Want to do something great and get >3 years publicity for your company? Sponsor one of the 195 country flags for only £50 whilst I’m cycling around the world to raise funds for Cancer Research to help them beat cancer. Details at: Flags of the world: https://wit2s.com/flags-of-the-world 

I'll also post updates from my challenge on my social media for those of you interested in seeing how I am getting on as well as on this JustGiving page.  My social media links are:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephen.lewisbrammer

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steve-lewis-brammer

Instagram: stephenlewisbrammer 

Twitter: @wit2s

Thanks for reading this, and for any support you can give,

Steve.

.Follow my cycling distance progress on Strava at: https://www.strava.com/athletes/slewis-brammer

JustGiving Information:

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