Kidney Research UK

A short update - I successfully completed the London to Paris. A fantastic (albeit tough) experience. As I write this, the sponsorship fund stands at over GBP 3,500. I am blown away by the generosity of everyone that has donated. It means so much to me and has a meaningful impact to Kidney Research UK. The fundraiser will stay open incase anyone has any spare change hanging around that they want to get rid of. Thanks again.

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On September 13th 2023, I will be taking on the London to Paris cycle challenge in aid of Kidney Research UK, a charity that is important to me. The ride is over 4 days and is approximately 311 miles (500Km) with approx. 15,500ft (4,724M) of climbing. A long ride for me is 100Km (62 Miles), so doing 500Km is going to be a challenge.

5 years ago when I was about to turn 50, along with a group of my colleagues I took up cycling as a way to get fit. I loved the challenges that it brought, the physical & mental health benefits and the team comradery. My first organized challenge was to ride in the Dubai 92. The event was awesome, but I made a mistake and found myself in an unfortunate accident that left me without my left Kidney. The real unfortunate piece of this is that my right Kidney has not been fully functional since birth, so losing the left one was impactful resulting in me being classified with stage 3 Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). My CKD is due to trauma and I genuinely count it as a blessing – it motivates me to look after myself in a powerful way. I can self-manage my situation and have received great advice, guidance and support.

Many people with CKD aren’t as fortunate as me – they need the help of charities to perform research that one day may offer them longevity. Nephronophthisis for example, is a genetic disorder of the kidneys which affects children and although rare, is the most common genetic cause of childhood kidney failure. Kidney Research UK is a fantastic organization and is the leading kidney research charity in the UK. Over the past 60 years, their research has made an impact but kidney failure is rising as are the factors contributing to it, such as diabetes and obesity. Today, they are more essential than ever. There are around 3.5 million people living with kidney disease in the UK. Treatments can be gruelling and currently there is no cure. By offering kidney patients and their families hope for the future, they are taking Kidney Disease on, but they can’t do it without help. Let's help……Every penny raised from sponsorship will go directly to Kidney Research UK.