Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I am riding for Deutsche Bank’s Charities of the Year on a stunning 100km one day cycle challenge through the beautiful Surrey countryside. The highlights of the route include the Box Hill climb, made famous by the 2012 Olympics, and the equally grand Shere Hill - totalling over 1000 metres of climbing (lucky me!).

I am doing this for people like Emilia. Emilia is 7 years old; she is a very happy, cheeky, smiley, affectionate girl. She is quite unlike how many people may expect an autistic child to be. However, there are times when Emilia is unable to control her emotions, particularly when she is frustrated or frightened. This can be hard for her dad Paul and the family to deal with - many people will assume that Emilia is badly behaved or that she has poor parents, and this means that small everyday activities and outings have to be planned very carefully. Emilia took part in a study supported by Autistica at Birmingham University which helped speed up the process for getting Emilia a formal diagnosis. Paul wants research to unlock all of Emilia’s amazing potential, and to help her deal with her emotions. This will give her the chance of a fulfilling and independent life, but most of all, a happy one.