Staff member Judith Naylor's recent challenge

I wanted a challenge to ’set me up for 60’ which is only 18 months away so wanted some challenges to improve my fitness.

On 26 May 2018 six of us set off from London to cycle to Paris.  We cycled 75 miles to Newhaven and got the ferry to Dieppe.  Then 75 miles (mostly traffic free) from Dieppe to Beauvais using the Avenue Verte  and other cycle paths. The following day we cycled 46 miles to Orgeval so that we were well set just outside Paris to make a stop at Versailles. The last day we navigated the scenic route suggested by Donald Hirscht round the south of the city to end at the Eiffel tower. About 245 miles in total.

The group consisted of me, my partner Mike Rymchuk, three friends (Erin Shearer, Heather Middleton and Stuart Middleton) and a cousin (Simon Blenkinsop) who was a last minute addition to the group.

Erin was raising money for Safety Net (UK) a charity that offers therapeutic and support services for children, young people and their families who have suffered rape, sexual abuse and domestic violence, across North and West Cumbria.  Her page is at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/erin-shearer3.  She raised a whopping £1450.

The cycle ride represented only half my challenge as I am running in the Great North Run in September and am raising money for Diabetes Uk.  I suffer from Type 1 diabetes and have benefited from the research that has already taken place to develop drugs and equipment to manage the condition.  I believe that there will come a time when the condition can be reversed.  My strap line is ‘help me to help them help others’.  My fund raising page is at https://mydonate.bt.com/donation/v4/chooseAmount.html?participant=504203&sourcePage=fundraiserSearchPage.  I am still fundraising but have raised nearly £500 so far.

Having done a 1m open water swim at the weekend I have completed far more distance over three disciplines than a half ironman triathlon – just not in one day!!