I’m taking part in Tour de 4 2026, the cycling event launched by Sir Chris Hoy following his Stage 4 cancer diagnosis. It brings together people living with Stage 4 cancer, alongside friends, families and supporters, to ride side by side and raise vital funds.

The event is about showing that a diagnosis does not define a person, and highlighting what life with Stage 4 cancer can look like: strength, resilience and determination. Everything raised through this page goes to Macmillan Cancer Support.

This is my Couch to 61K story. :)

I don’t have cancer but I know that 1 in 2 of us will face it in our lifetime. Late last year, I was told I might have a rare and aggressive form of cancer. Walking out of my GP’s office, fear took over. I called my cousin sobbing and asked if she would move to Scotland to raise my girls if the worst happened. Then I dried my tears and showed up for work at 9am. Although the specialist thought cancer was unlikely, it wasn’t fully ruled out until a follow-up appointment months later.

That experience changed something in me. I’m doing this ride because I can.

Perimenopause took years of my life through debilitating insomnia, pain, injuries, brain fog, anxiety, depression, and many, many tears. For nearly 4 years it went unrecognised while my body seemed to fall apart - torn muscles, damaged tendons, sprains, and more. It felt like a wrecking ball hitting every part of my life.

This was all happening while I worked full-time, solo parented, and moved to Scotland without a support network. The hardest part was knowing my daughters were watching me slowly unravel. They saw the tears, the exhaustion, the injuries, and the version of me that was desperately trying to get through each day.

I fell in love with cycling over 20 years ago. When I graduated uni and was working temp jobs until someone finally hired me, I joined an adventure racing club to manage the stress and started mountain biking at 25 and was hooked. When the pandemic hit and we were all trapped indoors, the turbo trainer I had bought a couple years prior and seldom used finally proved its value. It was so loud, I knew that when I was riding my kids wouldn’t hear me crying. Now, after getting on hormone treatment that is helping, cycling is bringing me back to life.

What inspires me about Tour de 4 is the idea of moving through pain together, choosing hope and choosing to keep moving forward even when life feels unfair.

When a friend first asked me to sign up, I wasn’t sure I could do it. At one point, hormone-related exhaustion was so severe I could barely stand after an easy game of golf. Getting back on the bike feels like reclaiming a part of myself I thought I had lost.

If you’re a woman over 40 and feel like you’re losing your mind, you might be in perimenopause (and you are not imagining it). It took over 18 months to get to my HRT dosage good enough and adjustments are still being made. In my case, the answer wasn’t antidepressants or anxiety meds - it was getting my hormones properly treated. Hang in there. xx

We now have “Countdown to Mum’s Menopause” on a whiteboard in our home. I can’t wait. :)

If you can, please donate.

Your contribution supports cancer research and charities helping people live with stage 4 cancer. Sharing this page would mean a great deal and might help a woman in your life.

Thank you for being part of this journey.

Ride: Blue Ride (38 miles)

Team of 4: Wheelie Good Women

Training song on repeat this week: Chappell Roan - HOT TO GO