After a stretch of nearly 10 years struggling with my health and persistent post viral fatigue, I saw the advert of this 200 mile cycling challenge and it was an inspirational moment – a feeling of “I can do this”.

When the fatigue first hit after having a virus in 2013, I struggled to do normal day to day tasks. The effort of getting up and driving to work was enough to leave me exhausted and resulted in a number of extended period of time off work and years of working part time and at a reduced capacity. I had to give up various activities including my beloved Sunday league football. Activities we all take for granted such as driving became effortful and incredibly limiting.

Over 10 years since then, along with many ups and down and bumps in the road, my body has made a very gradual improvement. I put down to a variety of lifestyle changes and my body’s own ability to heal itself. I’ve been back to reasonably rigorous physical activity for a while now. Then back in February I saw the advert for this charity bike ride and I got inspired and signed up. It felt like me and my body were in the right place to take on this challenge. Although at the time I’m not sure I quite knew the size of the challenge.

It is a 200 mile bike ride over three consecutive days, riding from Plymouth to Bude (day 1) then Bude to Newquay (day 2) and finishing with Newquay to Lands End (day 3). To put this in perspective, the estimated cycling equivalent to a running marathon is roughly 100 miles – so that’s two marathons over three days. That is a long, long way from where I was at my worst and will be the biggest physical challenge of my life.

Training has already had its ups and downs, with various pains and aliments but I am getting fitter and able to ride for longer, and I am really pleased to find I’ve not hit any significant episodes of fatigue.

Along with my personal investment in this challenge, I am marking
my 15^th year working in the NHS. I have worked for different NHS Trusts in London, Milton Keynes, Southampton, Bournemouth and now for the Royal Cornwall Hospital Trust (RCHT), working with various mental and physical health services. I am very proud of my contribution to our amazing NHS and for the help I have been able offer people. The NHS is hitting some incredible challenges currently and I am pleased to be able to contribute in a different way through this Royal Cornwall Hospitals Charity event.

From Royal Cornwall Hospital Charity:

Our Vision- We are passionate about supporting the creation of a brilliant patient experience for everyone across the Trust at Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, St Michaels Hospital in Hayle and West Cornwall Hospital in Penzance. Thanks to kind and generous supporters like you, we are able to fund equipment, facilities or additional training with our patients at the heart of everything that we do. Royal Cornwall Hospitals Charity has recently funded: Grants to over 100 teams to help them through Covid 19 - additional equipment for staff rooms, furniture and enhancements.- Bluetooth speakers to provide personalised music in bed spaces for patients on our Dementia ward.- A research nurse for the Oncology Research Team.- A laser resectoscope, doubling the number of procedures performed per week.