On September 13th - 15th this year, myself and Rich Setters will be cycling 250 miles over three days, from the Giraffes at Chester Zoo to the Giraffes at London Zoo, in aid of a fantastic charity called the Joshua tree. The Joshua tree has been an incredible source of support for all of our family since my son Benny was diagnosed with Leukaemia in September 2022.

When Benny was diagnosed, our world changed overnight. He spent the next 9 months going through intensive treatment, spending more time in the hospital than most of us do in our lifetime. He had to be home-schooled for most of the school year but inspired us all with his constant bravery, somehow smiling his way through it all. He is now back in school and doing everything a typical eight-year-old does. While we hope he is through the worst of it, his treatment is ongoing and due to finish in October 2024.

The Joshua Tree is a big part of why we managed to cope during this time. Founded in 2006 by parents of a child with cancer, they realised how little support there was for family members during the traumatic experience of childhood cancer. With a purpose-built centre just outside of Chester, they offer a range of emotional and practical support such as counselling, play therapy and educational tutoring. The events they run are a safe place where families who are going through and recovering from childhood cancer can come together, take a break and get support. Their services are critical, often in areas with long wait times to access the NHS.

https://thejoshuatree.org.uk/

For me personally this is definitely a challenge! I signed up to do this, having never ridden a road bike and with spin classes being my only real cycling experience. While Rich Setter is a more experienced rider, any ride of this distance should not be taken lightly.

It's a massive challenge but one that I am inspired to take, given the bravery Benny has shown and the other oncology children I have met along the way.