My Story

Support the fight against MS and help us reach our fundraising goals: follow us, first, as we pedal our tandem from Sea to Sea, then as Linda tackles the awesome coastal tour of northern Scotland, with Bike the UK for MS!

To raise funds for, and awareness of, MS, we'll be tandeming 150 miles from Whitehaven to Tynemouth in August; then, in September, Linda will take on the infamous 500-mile NC500, which starts and ends at Inverness Castle.

Diagnosed with Primary Progressive MS in 2017, I've been determined to keep as active as possible and to continue to pursue my lifelong passion for cycling. Linda navigates my highs and lows, and keeps me moving, whether on foot or on our much-loved tandem(s). Her solo event will be a memorial ride for our incredible fund-raising doggie mascot - Bongi - who rode with her on several challenging charity rides before his untimely death on the eve of lockdown 2020, two years ago.

We both volunteer for the East Cumbria Group of the MS Society: I'm Group Coordinator, and Linda's our PR and Comms Volunteer. Along the routes we'll be riding, we'll be stopping to meet other local MS Groups, and hope to find out more about the work they do to support members of the MS community.

As MS progressively erodes my mobility, and consumes me with mental fog and fatigue, the Sea to Sea will be an immense challenge, the first multi-day ride since my diagnosis almost 5 years ago. Linda's challenge will be different: it will be her first charity ride without Bongi, and will therefore bring back many memories, both happy and sad.

There's still no cure for MS, so we want to do all we can to help raise funds, both to support local MS Groups and to raise money for much-needed research. Your support will mean an immense amount to us both, and to our own East Cumbria Group. Thank you!