Hi, and thanks for reading my page.

On 7th Sept I will be riding the Tour de 4 for 2 reasons.

Every week, I run online yoga classes and the ladies that come to my classes come to enjoy yoga and the benefits it brings, whilst getting on in life, whether being a mum or a granny, a partner or a friend, working, hobbying or holidaying.

However, they are all getting on in life alongside their diagnoses of stage 4 breast cancer. An illness which is incurable. An illness that brings uncertainty, ongoing hospital appointments, and many, many symptoms from the cancer and their treatments.

Each week, they bring to class positivity and graciousness, kindness and generosity, picking each other up on days they have more to give, and leaning in a little on harder days.

Each week, I feel humbled and inspired by the collective strength of these women, getting on in life with stage 4 breast cancer.

These yoga classes run in partnership with the Karen Henderson Legacy Fund, which is part of Make 2nds Count, the only UK breast cancer charity to dedicate all their funds to those with stage 4 (secondary) breast cancer (breast cancer that has spread to other parts of the body) and I am proud to be fundraising for them on this bike ride.

You can read more about Karen, and her Legacy Fund here:

https://make2ndscount.co.uk/get-involved/khlf

The second very close to my heart reason for joining this bike ride is to share the day with my dear dad. When I read Chris Hoy's book, and he said his dad was the best... respectfully... I disagree, that spot has my dad's name on it!

Dad was diagnosed with incurable prostate cancer in 2016, when mum was finishing breast cancer treatment, and I was returning to my job as a hospice physio following maternity leave.

In the 9 years since, the cancer has spread to stage 4 and is in his hip and spine, but throughout surgery, treatments, side effects and pain, dad gets on with life just as the ladies in my yoga classes do, with an immeasurable amount of grace and dignity.

And whilst grace isn't a word you might associate with a 6'1" big beardy man, with a barrel of a laugh that echoes round rooms, it epitomises the way he lives alongside his cancer; finding joy somewhere in every day and always seeing the glass half full.

I am so proud of all the miles he has cycled since his diagnosis, and the phenomenal job he has done raising funds for Prostate Cancer UK and I can't wait to cross that finish line with him!

( you can read his story here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/my-tour-de-4-fundraiser-to-fight-cancer-zwgd6)