In April last year my beautiful little sister, Mags, was diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer. She valiantly endured many gruelling rounds of chemotherapy, but at the time of her diagnosis, it had already reached stage 4 and had spread to her liver. In February she eventually lost the battle.

Mags was only 43 years old and she left behind  two little boys aged 10 and 7. She had always taken great care of herself, eating healthily and exercising - even completing a triathlon in 2013. She was the sunniest of people and her smile lit up the room. She was generous and kind, and could be completely outrageous. I miss her every day.

Before she became ill, Mags and her friends had talked about cycling London to Paris. It seemed fitting that we should do it as a tribute to her. Having barely been on a bike since I was a kid, as well as being scared of the traffic, this is just the tiniest bit challenging. But it's amazing how focused you can be when you have a reason.

Pancreatic cancer is often called the "silent cancer" because the symptoms are so vague, but it is the fifth most common cause of UK cancer deaths. Research into its cause is also the most underfunded.

I know you're always being asked for money for one cause or other, so I'm really grateful you're considering sponsoring me.

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