Since 2021 I’ve been raising money for nia, a charity run by women for women who are survivors of domestic and sexual violence, including prostitution, by doing wheelchair distance events, including:
- More than a dozen wheelchair half marathons
- 2000 wheelchair miles in 12 months
- A virtual wheelchair journey to Mordor, covering 1815 miles, doing 13 miles every single day
So far I’ve raised about £10,000 and have no intention of stopping.
With another new year, I need a new challenge, so I bought a handbike.
It’s like an ordinary recumbent bike, but the handlebars are the pedals. It’s quite a bit harder to push than a normal bike and uses a completely different set of muscles to pushing a wheelchair, but I’m getting the hang of it.
Throughout 2025 I’ll be doing distance handbike cycling events of increasing distance and unwisdom. I’ll announce them here on my blog and on Twitter/X with the hashtag #ToHellOnAHandbike.
Challenges
My first challenge will be a non-stop ride from my home to the town where I was born (and back), a journey of exactly 42 miles, which I plan to do at the end of February. There are nicer and longer routes, but 42 seemed too auspicious and serendipitous a number to pass up. Plus there aren’t too many hills.
More ambitious routes will be announced soon!
nia: ending violence against women and girls
Nia has been fighting violence against women and girls since 1975. They support around 2000 women every year, providing a range of services focused on:
Please check out those links to see some of the vital work they do.
Your contribution
Please help to support nia’s vital work. You can donate here. All donations go directly to nia without my ever having access to it. If you’re in the UK, don’t forget to add Gift Aid!