Last year I decided I needed to work a little harder on my fitness and health. I decided to have a go at a Triathlon which I really enjoyed, but didn’t meet my target of doing three events in the year. Last November I was at a property dinner and was asked if I’d be interested in doing a charity bike ride – a big one. I flippantly agreed, now it’s become a reality.

During the first weekend in July myself and two friends will be riding, as part of an organised group, to raise awareness and sponsorship money for Alex’s Wish. Our ride will start in London and cover 277 miles in three days, finishing in Paris.

My motivation was personal initially; I needed a defined challenge to motivate myself and get me to do something big. I’m not that fit really and this scale of challenge is something I’ve never done before. This will be a major physical and mental challenge for me. But what’s really convinced me to do this is understanding a boy called Alex’s story. I know Alex’s Dad, Andy Hallam, who works in property. His son’s condition is rare and this charity needs support…

Duchenne is a severe and progressive muscle wasting disease. It’s 100% fatal. Alex is 9 years old; if it follows the classic course it will leave him in a wheelchair by age 12 and paralysed by his teens. It’s very likely he will not live beyond his twenties. At this moment in time, there is no cure for this disease.

His Wish, Our Mission!
Alex’s wish is to fix his and other children’s poorly muscles! The charity’s mission is to raise £100k per year for the next 10 years to get into the hands of the world’s leading scientists who have the best chance at making a cure a reality. So far they have raised £350,000 in three years. They are working closely with the wider Duchenne community to co-fund new clinical trials.

You can see a short video explaining Alex’s story here.

My request to you is simple. I appreciate lots of people do similar events to raise money for charity and you perhaps receive requests for sponsorship regularly. This is a one-off for me. I’ve never really requested sponsorship before so I’m simply asking you to give as much as you are able, just this once.

I’m targeting a fundraising total of £2000, making £6000 between the three of us doing the ride together. Our team is made up of myself, Alex Whitelaw and Richard Fielding of Morgan Sindall.

We’ve started the training and a 36 mile ride in heavy rain on Saturday morning was a true test of determination to get on with it, whatever the weather!

This is not for/ about me, it’s for Alex Hallam; a young boy who despite having a debilitating and fatal condition, has a wish to make a difference. The bravery and inspiration of Alex is really quite incredible.

Please donate here https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/nickrileyarchitect

You can read more about Alex’s Wish at the charity website here.