~ The Alt Tour of Britain ~

Inspired by Lachlan Morton's Alt Tour of France last year, starting on Sunday 4th September I am attempting an unsupported 'Alt Tour of Britain', riding all 8 stages and 7 transfers starting in Aberdeen and finishing on the Isle of Wight. Covering over 2,400km and 22,000m of elevation, I'm aiming to ride approximately 400km a day to reach the Isle of Wight before the pro peloton. I will be riding the event completely unsupported, carrying everything I need on the bike, including a sleeping bag and bivy.

I am aiming to raise £1,000 for the valuable mental health charity Mind, which provides much needed support.

~ My mental health story ~

 Mental health is something I've struggled with on and off for years, and for me, getting out on the bike or going for a hike in the countryside is always something that helps process everything. It's good to see more people talking about their mental health, as it's something that can affect all of us. 

Personally, my health struggles have stemmed from social anxiety and from my speech. From a young age I had difficulties with my speech, struggling to pronounce certain words and never speaking much in public. This improved with age, but from around the age of 14 I realised I had a stammer. This is something lots of friends and people who have met me don't always realise, as I've taught myself to hide the stammer, finding words/phrases to get around the difficult sounds. Now this probably isn't the right approach, but common with people who stammer. While it has improved over the years, it always is present in my head. It is always something I am more aware of when meeting new people and especially in large groups, having always to be one step ahead and think what I'm going to say. This has had an impact on my mental health, finding some social settings and encounters challenging. Having charities like Mind is really important, having a safe place to talk or find local support, something I wish I'd done earlier!

Please consider donating if you can, I have set up a fundraiser page through Instagram, and on Just Giving. I'll update any donations I get on Instagram to the total on Just Giving. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/thealttourofbritain