Lizzie and Ben cycling John O Groats to Lands End

In 2005, at the age of 11, I cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats (LeJog) with my family to take on the challenge and raise money for Asthma UK. Now, 20 years later, I’m doing it again!

Cycling was a huge part of my dad’s childhood, and naturally, it became a big part of mine too—alongside bell ringing and flying rockets (ask me about those sometime!). At some point, my dad decided we’d take on the 1,000-mile LeJog challenge as a family, just before I was due to start secondary school. I can’t quite remember if I was excited, terrified, or grumpy, but I definitely felt all of those emotions at different points during the training and ride. What I do know is that I’m incredibly grateful we were pushed to complete it—carrying our own luggage and fixing our bikes along the way. And a special shoutout to my mum, who only learned to ride a bike a year before we set off!

It took quite a while before I found myself back on a long-distance ride again, but when I did, it couldn’t have been more magical. In 2018, I ran a half marathon in Sierra Leone with my adventurous friend Karoliina to raise money for Street Child. Having absolutely fallen in love with the country and the communities, I returned 2019, to cycle 350km around the beautiful country. It was during that trip that I met Karim, the passionate programme director of Reseed, whose love for bikes and commitment to his community was so infectious that it made me want to do more.

Through Karim, I learned about his incredible work: helping children in rural areas get to school on bikes and empowering women with the skills to run their own bike repair shops in order to support their families. We also got to meet members of the local racing team, who joined us for most of the ride. That trip will always hold a special place in my heart. Even with the malaria and typhoid I got along the way (that’s a story for another time!) I hope to go back to Sierra Leone one day and would encourage you also to learn more about the country.

Since then, I’ve talked about cycling LeJog again, mostly convincing myself I could do it (ha!). But it wasn’t until my partner, Ben came along that the idea turned into a reality. “Let’s do it then,” he said every time I brought it up. And before I knew it, he’d booked the hotels! He was serious! So, on May 4th, Ben and I will be cycling nearly 1,000 miles, but this time from John O’Groats to Land’s End, finishing in beautiful Cornwall.

I want to make this ride truly meaningful, and that’s why I’m raising money for the brilliant Karim and Reseed, to continue supporting children, women, and families in Sierra Leone. Every penny raised will contribute to lasting change and help tackle poverty at its core. One key initiative is the Bike Shop project. It combines microfinance, business skills, and upskilling to create sustainable livelihoods in Sierra Leone.

A single bike shop provides employment for up to six people, including shop managers, mechanics, and apprentices. These shops also offer apprenticeships, training local people in bike maintenance, so they can go on to serve their communities.

Starting a new bike shop is no small feat. It requires 12 months’ rent upfront—often a huge hurdle for new businesses—and they also need tools, bike parts, and mechanic training. Karim is working to open new bike shops, which cost £4,000 each, and expand existing ones for £1,000. My goal is to raise between £1,000 and £4,000 to support this work.

Any contribution, no matter the size, will make a huge difference. I’m incredibly grateful for your support.

Thank you so much, and I can’t wait to share our stories with you when we return to London at the end of May!