On 13th September 2023, I joined Cure Leukaemia's inaugural Tour of the TAP Cycling team to help raise vital funds for Cure Leukaemia, offering patients across the UK hope in their battle against blood cancer.

We cycled around 1,000 miles over 10 days across the length and breadth of Great Britain (where it rained every day) with each of us aiming to raise at least £5,000, and at the time of writing the team has raised over £52,000, which combined with a similar amount from Cure Leukaemia CEO James McLaughlin who did a half marathon every day means that we have raised over £100,000, which is just incredible.

A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who donated and supported me over the last 9 months, you know who you are!

I've also upped my personal target to £6,000 so please keep giving!

I was inspired to take on the challenge for this incredible cause after witnessing and supporting the efforts of my fellow V-Sprint Cycling Club members - Jackie Fowler and Mike Hopkins MBE - who both rode all 21 stages of the Tour de France as part of Cure Leukaemia's "The Tour 21" team in 2022 and 2021 respectively. 

Jackie is a selfless individual who is unwavering in her support and commitment to helping others, and at the age of 60 she wanted to do something that would show that age is no boundary when it comes to any challenge that life presents. Like Jackie, Mike is a Legend both on and off the bike, and he obviously didn't suffer enough in France two years ago as he will be joining myself and another fellow V-Sprint club member, Lee Gardner, in taking on this new challenge, and for me personally to also push beyond my own limits.

Like many families, I personally have experienced the pain and grief that all forms of cancer can cause, including more recently the loss of my wife's mother and grandmother, although I am very fortunate to be able to say that while my own Mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017, following rapid treatment she has been clear since 2018.

Your generosity means Cure Leukaemia can help the prospects of blood cancer patients by funding more nurses and running more clinical trials through the Trials and Acceleration Programme (TAP) network of centres across the UK, with the next milestone for this growing charity being paediatric care which is so so important.

Thank you!

Ian