On Thursday 20th July we set off on our challenge to cycle to Paris in 3 days, raising money for CRY. This charity is particularly relevant to us as a group as we all have young adult children at this vulnerable age in their lives and want others to be aware of the advantages of early screening. Our “Heels on Wheels” team comprised of six friends- Maggy, Tina, Sheila, Rachel, Rhona and Lauren.

We arrived at Crystal Palace at 6.30 am on a drizzly morning with butterflies in our stomachs hoping that our 18 weeks of training would pay off. We settled into our stride and caught an evening ferry crossing to Dieppe. We woke up to a beautiful day and made our way to Gournay en Bray during day 2. The scenery was stunning and we rode through the most beautiful villages and countryside all day. Day 3 and we were up at 5.30 am for our final ride of 70 miles. Once we reached the outskirts of Paris the traffic slowed us down but lots of cheers and waves from people we passed certainly fired up the adrenaline and kept us going. 25 miles later and we reached the Eiffel Tower where we celebrated our achievement. We were lucky enough to be there as the Tour de France came in later the following afternoon, travelling a little bit faster than us!

We had met a great bunch of people who were all raising money for different charities. Many had not heard of Cry so it was great to be able to raise awareness and pass on information on the work they do. We raised a total of £2,545 and are so incredibly grateful to all who donated.