Race Around Britain
The Long Road Home

Beginning August 2021

^{Image credit David Grange - Greenglass Photography}

Following on from my World Record Britain End to End race in 2019,

Handcycle Britain is going coastal

7th August, I begin my next ultra endurance challenge and record-attempt, as I take on Race Around Britain - The Long Road Home.

A circumnavigation of mainland Britain by handbike.

While I will looking to set a fastest known time for handcycling around Britain, I will also be looking to break the record for the furthest distance ridden by handcycle. Depending on the route, the distance around the coast of Britain is in the region of 7000 km

Building on the format of Handcycle Britain - Land’s End to John o’ Groats world-record ride, I will look to ride from dawn and through to dark and often beyond each day to complete the gruelling total distance in the fastest known time.

As well as being the biggest distance I have attemted so far, unlike my previous performance challenge, I have chosen to take on this extreme race largely unsupported, with a ground support team working remotely from home around the UK and France.

It is important I take on this challenge in an ethical and environmentally friendly way, promoting sustainable greener travel and of course championing journeying by bike for all. My plan is to be connecting with communities and encouraging others to ride with me throughout my route; a collective antidote to the critically damaging increase of social isolation through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Race Around Britain is much about performance, however I will also use the challenge as an opportunity to raise awareness and to support my chosen charities doing great work in gynaecological cancer research, a cause personal to me and to the lives of 21,000 women diagnosed with a gynaecological cancer each year.

JustGiving - Ovarian Cancer Action

Ovarian cancer is the biggest gynaecological killer in the UK claiming the life of a woman every 2 hours. Many women still do not know the symptoms leading to late diagnosis. Ovarian Cancer Action are determined to drive up survival rates by funding world-class research into causes, treatments and prevention.
JustGiving - The Eve Appeal

The Eve Appeal funds ground-breaking research into the 5 gynaecological cancers, focused on developing effective methods of risk prediction, screening and early diagnosis.

To support this challenge and the vital work through these charities, please donate through the links.

Follow me as I Race Around Britain

Thank you to Sponsors

Handcycle Britain
Land's End to John o' Groats World Record Attempt

UPDATE: 20th June 2019 - WORLD RECORD BROKEN - 6 DAYS 22 HOURS & 17 MINUTES

Watch the documentary behind the making of Handcycle Britian: DREAM BIG

Dream Big from Friction Collective Film on Vimeo.

13th June 2019 - Handcycle Britain begins, in my attempt to become the fastest female to handcycle Land’s End to John o’ Groats (LEJOG).

In line with my motto - Dream Big, I’ve set myself a goal to complete the gruelling 874 miles; cycling 100 miles and up to 2500 meters of climbing each day, in just 9 days. The current female Guinness world record stands at 11 days. The male is listed at 10 days.

Representing Great Britain in my racing career and ambassador role with Ordnance Survey’s GetOutside national campaign; helping more people to get outside more often, I will be championing the British landscape and communities through my Great British journey and record-breaking attempt.

Throughout this challenge I will also be measuring air quality and pollution levels along the route supported by air quality monitoring specialists, as well as taking part in daily sports science testing in conjunction with Hartpury University, providing research into endurance and disability, in particular neurological and stroke, to benefit education and wider research applications.

I have a small performance team, aka the A-Team, made up of GB Olympic/Paralympic physio taking the role of performance manager; responsible for every aspect of my performance from treatment to nutrition, to hydration to recovery strategies. A mechanic will be in charge of the bike, while drivers, navigators, comms and creatives will work together in this crack team to play their part in achieving this challenge. Documentary filmmakers Friction Collective will be onboard the entire race and creating a documentary film from the heart of Handcycle Britain.

I have personal reasons for attempting this challenge, a spark of adventure that was lit way back within a hospital’s four walls, and one that has grown over the years building to this point. My passion for adventure and my love of sport has always been closely linked, and following my Faroe Islands adventure last year, some corrective heart surgery that had put a pause on my racing, and my decision to leave the GB cycling team to put these things right, this project, built over the last year will bring my experience and mindset of performance sport, into the world of adventure and ultra-cycling, studying and learning from the best to begin my next chapter.

This is a performance focus. It is who I am. Though to be able to support my two partner charities through Handcycle Britain, who have both helped me in my sport and adventure and who both do such fantastic work in supporting those with disabilities to getting active and in recovery, is something I really wanted to do.

Arctic One

Believing sport should be accessible to all, Arctic One aims to provide people, groups and clubs with disabilities, throughout the UK, with the opportunity to be more active through sport.

Adaptive Grand Slam Foundation

The AGS foundation provides support to people with disability, empowering members of the AGS community to undertake physical challenges, expeditions and extreme sports.

Follow Handcycle Britain and track our progress here.