A personal cycling journey from Jávea, Spain, to Delft, Netherlands (2500km), to raise funds for the KWF Cancer Foundation through the Ride For The Roses event. After losing my mother to cancer, I wanted to honor her spirit and the kindness she embodied by giving back. Cycling has become a way to find peace and push my limits, and through this journey, I hope to share a message of hope, love, and resilience for everyone touched by cancer and support those in need.
With every donation, you can share the name of someone you’ve lost to cancer. I’ll carry their names on my t-shirt during the Ride For The Roses event and honour them in a tribute video. A way to keep their memory alive and bring them along on this journey of hope.
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I will start my journey in Jávea as it holds a special place in my heart. It is where I grew up, surrounded by family in both joyful and difficult times, and it is where my mother is laid to rest. Beginning this journey there is not only a way to honour my roots but also to start from the place where my story and hers are most deeply connected. Losing my mother brought a profound sense of grief but also a deep gratitude for the friends and family who stood beside me with kindness and support. That compassion reflected the way my mother lived her life, always giving and caring, and it is a legacy I feel determined to carry forward.
For years I searched for a meaningful way to pay tribute to her, but nothing felt quite right until I discovered cycling. Cycling became more than just a sport. At times it offers a meditative rhythm, a quiet space for reflection and peace. At other times it pushes me to my limits and shows me what I am truly capable of. On this journey I hope to experience both the calm and the challenge while turning each pedal stroke into something that can help others.
When I arrive in Delft, I will take part in the Ride For The Roses event. Roses hold a special symbolism for my family. Whenever we visit my mother’s grave, we place four roses, one for each of us. With the event taking place just after my journey ends and on my birthday, it feels like more than coincidence; it feels like the perfect conclusion to this chapter.
The Ride For The Roses event supports the KWF Cancer Foundation, which funds cancer research and provides direct support to those living with the disease. This year’s mission, Fertility and Hope, focuses on fertility preservation for young women undergoing cancer treatment. In the Netherlands, 2,300 women aged 18 to 39 are diagnosed with cancer each year and many face the risk of losing their ability to have children due to chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgery. This campaign helps fund vital research to give them a future beyond survival. It also supports the Adamas Centrum in Nieuw-Vennep, a place of rest, support and connection for people living with or after cancer. This journey is my way of keeping her memory alive and turning grief into action, supporting vital research and offering hope to all those touched by cancer.
