Why am I bothering to cycle 340 miles from London to Paris for charity in July 2023 when it would be far easier to sponsor someone younger to do it instead?

That very thought crossed my mind at the week-end, riding 52 sweaty miles on a very hot day. It was tough.

It all felt like a good idea back in November, with my mates at the bar of my local pub. Despite all the beer bravado at the time, the others have dropped out a long the way leaving me as the last man cycling.

On reflection, there are four real reasons why I am doing this four day ride:

1. Because I can. I am already the wrong side of 60. And I have a false knee which is not going to last for ever. But I am (almost) fit enough to complete a ride to Paris with enough training. And I know I will cycle more miles in the summer if I have a challenge ahead of me.
2. To show my fundraising team that I am shoulder to shoulder with them. I am CEO of the national boutique charity, the MS Trust. We don’t receive a penny from the Government or the NHS so we can only do what we do thanks to people’s generosity. Our fundraisers make the magic happen. But it’s not easy,
   especially at the moment. So, some of my miles are to show them how much I appreciate them going the extra mile too.
3. Multiple Sclerosis services in the NHS are overstretched. That means many people living with MS are not getting the support they so desperately need. My ride isn’t going to fundamentally change that world. Ultimately, it’s a small gesture. But
   I feel if I can raise a few thousand pounds, that might help to fund an additional MS nurse. (FYI I am trying to influence the funding situation nationally through my work on the board of the Neuro Alliance so my work isn’t overly reliant on pedal power.)
4. To raise the profile of multiple sclerosis (including in blogs like this.)

I’ll be honest with you, with the situation in Ukraine and the cost of living crisis, I thought I might have called it wrong earlier this year. In the dark days of winter, the fundraising was really hard.

Slowly but surely, friends and colleagues have come good. Really good. To the point where I have got slightly embarrassed by their generosity. I have been supported directly and indirectly by almost 200 people. That is very humbling. Their sponsorship will be my rocket fuel.

I know on the four day ride I will get very hot and very tired. But after four days, that will stop. For people living with MS, many of them live with fatigue every single day while over 60% of people with MS experience heat sensitivity.

My hardship will be temporary. And I know it will be eased by the fact that I, along with those 200 or so supporters, will be making a real difference together on the four days in July.

Could you be supporter 201?