It was such a great day – cycling on traffic-free roads (the ultimate dream for a cyclist!) with 25,000 other mad cyclists. People were outside their homes cheering us on from the 7.30am start right up to the finish line on Tower Bridge and boy did we need that support. I hit a wall between the 65^th and 70^th mile – where the brain goes, “What are you doing? Why are you still on this bike? That café looks nice why don’t you stop here?” Then I heard a supporter shout, “You can do this!” and “It’s basically all downhill from here” (turns out this was a white lie but a strong encourager at the time) and I kept going.

Crossing the finish line was emotional – a mix of, “I can’t believe I’ve done that”, “No more pedalling!” and “I can eat real food” (if you’ve ever had energy bars and gels you will know that feeling of craving a sandwich or burger). I also felt proud of myself: that I was able to complete the challenge and that I was able to do it for Kids Matter. I wanted this ride to be more than just a fun challenge for myself but also a way to raise money for Kids Matter. (I mean, I am biased about the cause – being a team member.) Kids Matter’s vision to see every child in need raised in a strong family is one that I truly want to see happen and if spending seven hours on my bike can help that then I will do that.

Thank you everyone who has already given – your support was a real encourager as the miles ticked away. If you’d like to join us in reducing the impact of poverty on children, and if you’re reading this having never heard of Kids Matter before, then do check us out here.