Not long after joining West Midlands Trains in January 2023, I heard of a crazy group of new colleagues called the Bonkers Bikers who were raising money for charity by cycling from London to Paris. They had also organised a Coast to Coast (Whitehaven to Whitley Bay) charity ride in 2022.

I had two choices! Never mention the word cycling at work and keep well away from these long distance, multi-day cycling nutters or seek to make some new cycling friends.

Now in 2024, the Bonkers Bikers have decided to ride from London Waterloo to Waterloo, Belgium on the outskirts of Brussels and here I am!

Those of you that know me well will know that a couple of years ago, I wouldn't have even blinked at the thought of a challenge like this. However, having embarked on one of life's other challenges of relocating, starting a new job and moving home twice, cycling has really taken a back seat and I am currently nowhere near the fitness levels that I once was.

With that in mind, this will be one of my toughest challenges to date and I don't have long to get those legs pumping properly again. We are raising money for Birmingham Children's Hospital Charity and it would mean the world if you are able to sponsor me in such a mammoth challenge for an amazing cause.

At Birmingham Children’s Hospital Charity, we believe there’s always more we can do for our sick kids and that’s why we will always strive to do more for our patients and families. It’s our mission to raise the vital funds needed to make a real difference to all who use our hospital.

Your support empowers us to take innovative approaches to treating some of the sickest children in the UK. Your fundraising enables us to make our hospital feel just like home. Your donations are helping us to find new ways to treat and cure childhood diseases.