Bristol2Beijing

[vmgvideo class="ql-video" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LYW94-n27Lo?showinfo=0&rel=0&iv_load_policy=3" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"][/vmgvideo][p][br][/p][p]My name is Luke. I am 25 years old. In June of 2018 I was diagnosed with Stage IV cancer. The cancer is still here – I’m here too. On 1 January 2020, I began cycling from Bristol, UK to Beijing, China on a tandem bicycle ([url=https://bristol2beijing.org/home-page/tracking]track my progress via GPS[/url]). I've named the tandem "Chris" in honour of my late brother, John Christopher Grenfell-Shaw, to whom my ride is dedicated. He will be joining me every step of the way ([url=https://bristol2beijing.org/the-unseen-joiner/]read more[/url]).[/p][p]The aims of this trip are simple but ambitious: to inspire CanLivers* to proactively seek out opportunities to live richly and fully; to maximise their chances of longevity and happiness through exercise and diet; and to create a dynamic, lasting movement in how we approach cancer. This is a message that applies to anyone facing challenges, anyone living.[/p][p]A key aspect of driving this change is supporting groups who are already working towards similar goals. I have chosen to support the following UK charities for the duration of my expedition (expedition partner charities): [url=http://www.5kyourway.org/]5K Your Way[/url] and [url=http://www.trekstock.com/]Trekstock[/url], charities which help empower CanLivers through exercise, and the [url=http://www.teenagecancertrust.org/]Teenage Cancer Trust[/url] and [url=http://www.clicsargent.org.uk/]CLIC Sargent[/url], which both did so much to support me throughout treatment. I will also be adding a fifth partner charity for each leg of my journey beyond the UK (regional partner charities) to provide much-needed support for work being done in some of the less fortunate parts of the world through which I will be travelling.[/p][p]The ride initially aimed to raise £23,000 – £1 for every kilometre cycled. Amazingly, we reached this goal just 15 days into the expedition ([url=https://bristol2beijing.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/2020-01-15-RELEASE-Initial-Bristol2Beijing-Fundraising-Goal-Achieved-2-Weeks-into-12-Month-Expedition.pdf]see release[/url])! After a wildly successful UK leg of the expedition in so many ways, we had also raised £30,000 (see [url=https://bristol2beijing.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/2020-02-14-RELEASE-First-Leg-of-Bristol2Beijing-Expedition-Complete-1.pdf]14 Feb news release[/url]). By noon on 20 February, we had successfully raised £30,706.84, which will be equally split between the four expedition partner charities.[/p][p]Starting with Leg 2 of the expedition, I have also partnered with [url=https://www.worldchildcancer.org/]World Child Cancer[/url] as a regional partner charity in Europe. The aim is to help fund the education and training of healthcare professionals that are supporting children with cancer in Kosovo, the poorest country that I expect to visit on my way to Istanbul. Contributions to Bristol2Beijing during the Europe Tour (on or after noon on 20 Feb, 2020) will be split five ways among these partner charities. Importantly, we have also increased our goal by £93,000 for a new target of £123,000! (read more in our [url=https://bristol2beijing.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/2020-02-20-RELEASE-Leg-2-Begins-with-Additional-Charity-Partner-Updated-Fundraising-Target-and-GPS-Tracking.pdf]20 Feb news release[/url]). If we are able to raise more than £5,000 for World Child Cancer during the Europe Tour, excess funds will be split between two of the organisation’s important and growing projects aimed at improving paediatric oncology outcomes in Nepal and Bangladesh - two places I also hope to visit along my cycle route. I will keep the CanLive community up to date on any updates to our fundraising milestones or partnerships ([url=https://bristol2beijing.org/press/]see press page[/url]).[/p][p]I invite you to help us reach our new target of £123,000. My deepest gratitude to the many hundreds of donors who have helped us get so far already![/p][p]To find out more and follow my journey, please visit my [url=https://bristol2beijing.org/]website[/url], [url=https://www.facebook.com/bristol2beijing/?modal=admin_todo_tour]Facebook[/url], [url=http://www.instagram.com/bristol2beijing/]Instagram[/url], or [url=https://m.weibo.cn/u/7346464558]Weibo[/url] pages. To learn more about my partner charities, please visit my [url=https://bristol2beijing.org/home-page/fundraising/]fundraising page[/url].[/p][p]*CanLiver = someone living with cancer: facing the uncertainty and challenge of cancer on a daily basis, yet we can live with cancer - richly and fully.[/p]