This year I have decided to press the pause button on real life, in an attempt to satisfy a niggling thought…do you reckon you could see the world by bike, or at least half of it! I’ve been fortunate enough to experience a few countries by two wheels and nothing compares to how you absorb a landscape and culture, than when your arse is being gently pummeled for 8 hours a day. In all seriousness, I have always been intrigued by the idea of a cross continent cycle. The seed was sown by my Dad who, in his twenties, debated whether to sail the Atlantic or cycle to Vietnam, he chose the former. Naturally, I have chosen the latter, so while this is as much about me seeing the world, it is also an ode to my dear father, who sadly lost his battle with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) in April last year.

I always looked up to my Dad, he was always doing something, the king of faffing, constantly fixing, cooking and shouting and his love of adventure has certainly rubbed off on me. He cycled everywhere (rain, wind and snow), sailed and skied, always with a huge sense of adventure and passion. However, PSP took that all away. If there is anything I can take from this, it is to live life now.

Given the feat of this task and the fate of my Dad, I wanted to take the opportunity to raise some money while on this solo self-funded trip. I will be fundraising for a small but important charity, close to mine and my family’s heart following the support our family and my Dad received throughout his years of suffering. The PSP Association (PSPA), provide support and information for people living with PSP and CBD.

For those who are not aware of my Dad’s story, he was diagnosed with PSP in the summer of 2018. In short PSP is a progressive neurological condition where a protein builds up around nerve endings in your brain, this leads to a slow progressive chronic disease that can affect everything from balance, speech, vision, movement and swallowing.  The way I always describe it to people is that it is a cruel concoction of Parkinson’s, Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s.

Little is known about PSP, there is no cure, no treatment and it is often misdiagnosed. This makes it so cruel and challenging to navigate. PSP can often be a lonely and dark place for those suffering from it.  Each person has a unique experience, where symptoms vary in severity and chronology, making it difficult to prepare for the next step. My Dad’s symptoms started with a constant dizziness, he spent a number of years going for check-ups with specialist who scratched their heads about the cause until he was finally diagnosed in June 2018. In his final years his condition steadily declined. Dad battled through loss of mobility, eyesight, speech and swallowing, while his strong character slowly disappeared as the neurological disease inevitably took hold.

PSPA is really important to the 4,000 people estimated to be living with PSP in the UK. Although raising money is not going to find a silver bullet, critically it will raise awareness about this rare disease, provide support and knowledge to sufferers and their support networks as well as contributing to a much needed and underfunded area of research, to help provide a sliver of light for sufferers and their families now.

It goes without saying how important small charities such as PSPA are, and how much they rely on donations for research and day to day support. I have already smashed my £10,000 target and I'm not even mid way. With 21 countries to pass through I thought I would up the target to £21,000, why not hey?! I would really appreciate any pounds, pennies, euros, buttons and stamps you can afford to donate.

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