I’m doing this for my close friend Luca, who was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) in August. If you know Luca, you know how much his health and fitness mean to him — former military, outdoor instructor, first responder and expedition leader, now serving as a firefighter. Recently fatigue and other symptoms have already taken their toll. He had an ultra-marathon in the diary; after the diagnosis he can’t do it — but true to character his first thought was still to run it for a Leukaemia charity. However it’s now clear to him that in reality he needs to put his health first: which means starting life-saving treatment now. Those who know Luca know that he is a family man who has always stood for community, so it’s time for us to get together and do the same. This ride is for Luca, and for everyone aiming for a drug-free, fatigue-free life.
Starting from my front door, I’ll follow the UK’s Great North Trail. It’s roughly 750 miles of remote bridleways, gravel and rocky singletrack heading north from the Peak District into some of the most remote parts of Scotland to finish at Cape Wrath. It’s not the distance that will provide the hardship but the terrain and remoteness. It’s a self-supported solo ride: I’ll carry everything on the bike, mostly wild-camping (Leave No Trace) and managing long stretches between resupply. Expect steep climbs, boggy moors, rough passes and the odd hike-a-bike, with weather that can turn in minutes. The plan is simple: keep moving, sleep under the stars, and turn every pedal stroke into funding for life-saving research.
Cure Leukaemia helps blood cancer patients to access pioneering drug and transplant treatments by funding a network of specialist research nurses across the UK. Without these nurses, to ensure patients are monitored and cared for, clinical trials of these new treatments would not run and patients, that have exhausted standard treatment options, would miss out on potentially lifesaving therapies. Every penny raised for Cure Leukaemia helps save lives and also hastens global progress towards the eradication of all forms of blood cancer.
If you can, please donate — and UK taxpayers can add Gift Aid at no extra cost. Every pound genuinely helps move the next treatment across the finish line.