I have signed up for the 400km (250 miles) three day Tuscan adventure 'PedElle', a charity cycle from Siena to Rome. The ride is sold as 'taking in incredible views of vine-clad hills, hilltop towns and stunning architecture through Siena to Rome' and I'm sure anyone would agree it sounds like a truly lovely experience. However, since the word 'hill' features twice in that sentence I have a feeling the reality might be a lot less serene than imagined since it will all have to be experienced from the saddle of my bike. My reasons for doing this extend beyond a desire to revisit the gorgeous Tuscan countryside - although it may have been an influential factor! Having completed the Prudential Ride London 100 for the British Lung Foundation a few years ago I had been biding my time looking out for the next challenge and fundraising opportunity and this seemed like the ideal chance. This will no doubt be a challenge (400km in 3 days and all in the heat of mid-June) but it is all in aid of raising money for the amazing charities that this organised ride supports. My costs in taking part are very generously being covered by my firm (Gowling WLG) meaning that every penny that I raise will go to the following charities: • Coram - Coram has protected childhoods since 1739. Today they provide a unique safety net for children and young people who are frequently ignored or marginalised by those responsible for their care. Coram is responding to the exploitation, hardship, abandonment and growing social care crisis blighting young lives. They address the challenges by developing and delivering services to create a lifetime of difference for 1.4m vulnerable children, young people and families each year. You can read more about their work at https://www.coram.org.uk/how-we-do-it – 60% of all of the money raised for the ride will go directly to Coram The remaining 40% will be split among the following charities: • Tom's Trust which supports projects encouraging young people to explore the world of science and gives them the opportunity to find out more about how to take up a science related career - www.tomaprhyspryce.com • Cyclists Fighting Cancer which gives young people across the UK living with cancer the confidence and ability to regain their physical fitness by building and giving them new bikes, adapted trikes, tandems and other necessary support – www.cyclistsfc.org.uk • Multiple System Atrophy Trust which, from the moment of diagnosis, provides MSA specialist nurses, telephone support, an online forum for people affected by MSA and information for healthcare professionals – specifically our ride supports ongoing research into a cure www.msatrust.org.uk It would be great if you could sponsor me on this ride in any way. Emily