Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

On 11th-12th June, I will be taking part in Nightrider, cycling 100 km around London from dusk until dawn (ish). All money raised from this foolish endeavour will go to Shine Cancer Support.

The past few years I've been involved - in a small way - in research studies of young adult cancer patient populations, helping to analyse, understand and communicate their experiences. Time and again it's the same stories:

• Fighting an uphill battle to get diagnosed
• Taking months (or more) off work at a time when your career and finances may not be very stable
• Difficult and rapid decisions around fertility preservation
• Worrying about whether you'll be around for your kids 
• Dealing with doctors who think that 5 year survival is a helpful measure of success
• Wondering whether treatment will cause permanent, life-changing effects
• Having to make treatment decisions based on the above
• Finding you have to advocate for yourself at every stage
• Sticking out like a sore thumb on the cancer ward
• Trying to maintain a social life, relationships, or dating, when you're dealing with a very different reality to those around you

A cancer diagnosis is never easy, but these additional challenges can make treatment - and life-changing decisions about treatment - so much harder as a result.

I have first-hand experience of this as well, when I was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2017, at the age of 31. You can read my story - and a bit of research - in more detail here:

Science Talk - The Lost Tribe: Improving the lives of young adults with cancer - The Institute of Cancer Research, London (icr.ac.uk)

I've been lucky enough that I've put most of this behind me and remain well enough to get on my bicycle. But I know others who are going through this difficult and lonely journey right now. That's why I'm raising money for Shine.