My 2000km challenge is to raise money in memory of two special people both of whom died from a brain tumour. First is Brian Dixon. He was a very close family friend and my son's godfather, a role he enjoyed. He was a very keen cyclist (as the photo shows) and would cycle from his home 35 miles away to see us knowing there would be tea and cake waiting. On one such occasion he left our house to head home only to meet his cycle club a few miles down the road. He felt he couldn't just say hi and cycle home, so he joined them cycling a much longer route home. This is why I am cycling more than Land's End to John O'Groats (or in my case John O'Groats to Land's End). I am taking a Brian style detour. My 2000 km will include cycling from the most northwesterly and northern points of mainland Scotland (Duncansby Head and Dunnet Head) to the most southerly and southwestern point, Mull of Galloway. This does give an excuse to have a Cream of Galloway ice cream on the way. Therefore, like Brian on the day of his long way home, I am likely to be absolutely cream-crackered by the time I end up in Land's End. The second person my 2000km challenge remembers is Cloe Monkley. Cloe died aged only 31 not knowing she had a brain tumour. She thought her strange behaviour and headaches were down to her being pregnant with her fourth child. I taught Cloe at Landscore School in Crediton when I was doing long term supply teaching. She subsequently became a very close friend of Naomi, my stepdaughter. Cloe didn't have it particularly easy yet she always worked hard to give her family the best she could.

To challenge myself, I plan to cycle nine hours a day, in blocks of three hours, starting on the 20th April 2024. I will camp at the end of each day. Given that I am cycling by time rather than distance, I estimate that my challenge will take roughly 100 hours, depending on the wind. This translates into around 12 days if the winds are kind! Finally, and importantly, my 2000km challenge lends itself to raising £2000 – a pound for every kilometer. This is the first time that I have undertake such a challenge so I hope that you can support me and give something to this amazing charity.