I have had family members, work colleagues, friends and patients who have lived with cancer. Some have had happy endings and have lived to tell their tale; others were not such happy endings. Whilst I have been around cancer, but fortunately never been touched by it myself, the heartache and devastation has been around me. I have seen how "The Big C" effects lives of not only the sufferer, but the lives of their families. I have seen the tears and the daily struggles. I have shed my own tears of compassion, and have been driven to channel this into something positive, whilst cancer still destroys lives.

I chose to enter a 350km bike ride across Brazil to challenge myself. Whilst every penny raised through any kind of fundraiser is of course appreciated, I wanted to do something that I felt would be empathetic.

Just as I have watched the physical and emotional pain and exhaustion that cancer causes, I wanted to feel a physical and emotional exhaustion whilst doing something good. Whilst all the people I know have been on a journey themselves, pushing their mind and body to the limits, holding on to that light at the end of the tunnel, I wanted to do the same. I wanted to go on a journey myself, and not a geographical journey by travelling all the way to Brazil. My journey begins now; training for a bike ride. Whilst I do spin classes and casual bike rides, I'm sure nothing will prepare me for 350km. I will spend the next 9 months pushing myself physically, until D day arrives and we begin our ride in Brazil.

Please sponsor anything you can to help me raise my target of £3,300. The money is being split between Breast Cancer Care, Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust and Ovarian Cancer Action, all of which do fantastic things for the research into cancer and helping those suffering and their families.

I hope to take you on this journey with me in support of those who have been touched by the C word. Together, we will beat cancer.