A Cancer Survivor's Epic Cycle Ride Across Europe

In March 2019 I was diagnosed with stage 3 womb cancer. Because it had spread outside the womb to nearby lymph nodes, I needed a radical hysterectomy, sessions of chemotherapy and 27 sessions of radiotherpy (25 external and two internal doses).

I have now been cancer free for just over a year. The wonderful care I received from the National Health Service (NHS) professionals at the Royal Marsden Hospital left me with a desire to do something to show my appreciation.

The possibility of death made me realise how much I wanted to do, but hadn't done. Travelling was one them. Combine this desire to travel with wanting show my appreciation and a crazy idea was born.

I would cycle across Europe from to north to south to raise money for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.

Stage One - The Nordic Countries

The epic ride will kick off August 2021 when I hope Covid-19 will no longer restrict travel.

The journey begins in Norway, from Nordkapp (North Cape). Initially, we had planned to begin our journey from Kinnarodden, which is the northernmost point of Europe. But when I researched Kinnarodden, it turns out it is not accessible by bike.

To reach it would require hiking through some very demanding terrain, and according to a website for visitors to the area, it would take 10-12 hours on a good day. So we're leaving Kinnarodden for another time. The journey will demand enough without a 46 kilometer hike to kick-start it.

The northern parts of Norway and Finland are ideal places for catching the midnight sun. The start date for the ride is 21st August which means we'll miss the best of the midnight sun, but hopefully also the worst of the mosquitoes.

If you ever have visited northern Europe in the summer, you will know that mosquitoes are a tiny but persistent pain in the backside. But hopefully, by the end of August, most of them will have disappeared.

From Norway we'll cross into Finland and head slightly east before heading south and taking in some beautiful Lapland scenery with lakes and hills and forests. There are a range of possible routes to reach the South of Finland, but I'll cycle along the coast from Kemi to my hometown Raahe. There we'll have a rest for a few days at hotel mum and dad.

When cycling in Finland (especially if it is a once-in-a-lifetime thing), I would definitely recommend cycling through central/south-east of Finland with its thousands of lakes. This is why from Raahe I'll head to Jyväskylä and then south towards Helsinki.

My sister has a summer cottage about an hour from Helsinki. We'll stop there for a couple of nights to rest my wary muscles in their wood sauna. There is nothing better for relaxing an aching body than the gentle heat of a wood sauna and a dip in the cold sea water.

After a good rest, we'll take a ferry from Turku, the former capital of Finland, to Sweden.

The ferry will take us to Stockholm. From there we'll take the southeastern coast of Sweden all the way to Malmo. I’m looking forward to exploring the area as we have never been further south than Stockholm.

The last Nordic Country along the route is Denmark. We will cross into Denmark from Malmo. Once in Denmark, we want to stop in Copenhagen for a couple of nights. I have heard so much about this city from friends that we cannot possibly pass this opportunity to explore it.

Stage Two - Germany And France

After we leave the Nordic Countries behind, the bike ride takes us into Germany. We'll follow the Baltic Sea route along the German coastline all the way to Rostock and then Berlin.

This adds some extra kilometres to the ride, but what are a few hundred kilometers in the grand scheme of things. It will be worth it to explore Berlin.

Neither of us has been to Berlin, so we're definitely stopping there for a few nights. We're keen to visit famous attractions and sights, including Checkpoint Charlie and East Side Gallery. For anyone planning to visit Berlin, the Official Website for Berlin is full of useful information.

After Germany, it's time to head across the border into France. Our first stop there will be Colmar, where we'll stop to visit some friends. Colmar looks so picturesque and we're relishing the thought that we'll have a proper bed to sleep in for a few nights instead of the tent.

The Final Stage - Spain

From Colmar we'll head south and towards Spain. The plan is to follow the coastal route, although we haven't completely dismissed the option of heading inland to Madrid and then down to Punta De Tarifa (the southernmost point of Europe and my goal).

Whether we take the coastal route or the inland route, our journey takes us to Barcelona. I have only visited the city once, so we're stopping there for a few days of rest and sightseeing. I hope that the weather will be better than it was on my last visit when it poured down for the entire long weekend I spent there.

There is so much to see in Barcelona that we might stop for three to four days. The Tourist Guide to Barcelona has a wealth of information for those planning a visit there. On top of my list of places to see are the Sagrada Familia along with other designs by Gaudi, a wonder down the Las Ramblas and the Tibidabo amusement park for a bit of fun.

Once we leave Barcelona behind, it might feel like we're nearly there. However, there are still many kilometres ahead. To be exact, it will be 1,132.8 km following the coastal route or 1,294 km if I go via Madrid. The jury is still out on the route. At the moment we're both in favour of the coastal route.

By the time we reach the finish point at Punta de Tarifa, we'll have covered close to 6,000km. The idea of 6,000km is honestly quite overwhelming, but broken down to different stages, it seems more manageable.

We're estimating it will take us close to three months to reach Punta de Tarifa. My partner could probably do it quicker as he is a mad cyclist, but he'll have to pace himself with me.

It's mental to think that I will spend nearly a quarter of 2021 on the bike. But it's also exciting. As is the idea of raising lots of money for charity and celebrating with family and friends once we reach our goal.

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To donate for our fundraiser, visit Cycling For Cancer.