My Why!

This year I decided to do something wildly out of character… and honestly, borderline ridiculous. Ridiculous especially if you’ve ever seen me on a bike. I’ve signed up for a 500-km charity ride across Thailand over 5 days. Yes—500 km. In the heat. In the humidity. On a bike I haven’t even laid eyes on yet.

Most people who sign up for something like this are actual cyclists. Or, at the very least, people who own a bike and don’t require the kind of padding you normally only see in furniture. Me? I need industrial-strength cushioning just to survive a leisurely pedal. My balance is questionable, my confidence is minimal, and my backside is already drafting its resignation letter.

The Fitphoria Expedition is a first for Anytime Fitness – an epic charity ride in support of Hands Across the Water – and somehow, I’ve convinced myself that I should be part of it.

So why am I doing this?

Because after losing my mum this year, everything changed. Grief has a funny way of knocking you down while also daring you to get back up and do something meaningful. So instead of flying back to the UK like I do every year to visit her, I wanted to honour Mum in a way that challenged me, pushed me, and genuinely helped others. Doing something both meaningful and mildly insane felt like the perfect tribute.

This ride is for her.
It’s for anyone who’s lost someone.
And it’s for a cause that truly matters.

I also need to raise at least $5,000, so if you can support me—with a donation, a cheer, or just a gentle acknowledgement that my butt is about to go through a life-changing experience—I’d be unbelievably grateful. Every bit helps, especially when I’m questioning all my life choices somewhere around kilometre 43… on day one.

Thankfully, I won’t be alone.
I’ll be riding alongside an incredible crew from the AF family, all of us united by a shared mission: to make a difference, to show up for something bigger than ourselves (including each other), and maybe… just maybe… to find a new kind of Fitphoria out there on the road.

Padded shorts, heat, humidity, laughs, and I’m sure some tears along the way - here I come.

All for an amazing cause, and I can’t bloody wait!