Rich - why I’m doing this ride

e first told me about this ride a few years ago - said he had a neighbour who did it in five days. He then went on to suggest that he thought it might be a fun challenge some time - I thought "yeah right ... nutter ... like to see you try". I've done all day bike rides and triathlons before, which themselves are quite challenging, so the concept of doing several consecutive days of long stuff has always seemed a tad excessive.

Anyway, time goes on and sadly you see how some things in life don't go quite to plan. When your best mates' son dies of a rare genetic disorder before making it to the age of three it changes your perspective on things.

Knowing how much the support provided by Chase hospice helped them in caring for their little son Fraser, who had struggled on and off in various ways since birth, it seems only natural to want to assist in some way myself. As one of Fraser's three Godfathers there seemed little I could do for e, jools or Fraser while he was alive, other than the odd random visit or phone call. So, despite the lunacy of attempting a ride like this, it seems the least I can do to help them to raise money for Chase hospice, who gave them so much support and so many happy memories while their little Fraser was around.

To help this loony bike ride make a difference for other families with life-limited children any donations you can give towards this event would be extremely gratefully received.

Rich’s blog