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 January 2020 four friends Suzanne Ingram, Linda Collins, Alison Round and Joanne Wood began plotting a personal challenge to ride John O Groats to Lands End.

Covid struck and our plans were delayed and delayed then put on hold until March 21.

Hotels and flights were booked, a winters hard training in our legs, and just 3 weeks before our start date my friend Jo found a lump in her breast.

Of course there was no decision to be made - we would wait for her. She was embarking on a much harder personal challenge with absolute determination; she would get through it and come out ready for any mere bike ride!

The journey was tough!

We're all very grateful for the support she received from FORCE and hope this fundraising will help others to benefit. These are her words below:

"Following surgery I needed to have six rounds of chemotherapy and 20 sessions of radiotherapy, all finishing on Christmas Eve 2021- not the year I had planned.

Early on in this process I visited FORCE. There I found an oasis of calmness, kindness and support tucked into a corner of the RD&E hospital site. I was able to go there and just cry and the staff would listen, bring me tea etc.

I had a most beautifully relaxing massage, for free, prior to each of my chemotherapy sessions. They facilitated sessions with a wonderful wig lady to help me cope with the prospect and reality of losing my hair, and offered counselling for me and my family if we wanted it.

I am now well and back to fitness and in May 2023 our challenge begins. We start cycling from John O'Groats on May 13th and will hopefully finish at Land's End on Sunday 28th May.

All four of us work, or have worked, for the NHS as doctors and nurses and despite all the difficulties it faces on a daily basis, it absolutely delivers when it needs to. I am eternally grateful for the care I received and the support that FORCE provided, so I am hoping I can raise some money to give back to help FORCE help others.”

All donations will go to Devon FORCE cancer support charity.