Mike and Maddy in Vietnam
'My first trip was to South Africa in 2005 and that opened my eyes to the whole fundraising experience. It's not tin shaking in the High Street or badgering all your friends for all their spare cash. It's much more fun than that! It's a great chance to meet new people, to spread the message about Macmillan's services, it's a fantastic way to hear about the good things Macmillan has done first hand and to get some serious motivation for the challenge you are undertaking,' said Mike.
'I raised £6,000 mostly doing supermarket rides. That involved getting my bike on a turbo trainer, me in some lycra and then the family all coming along to a supermarket and riding for six hours in the front doors. We had a great laugh with the public who were convinced I was mad and then it took four hours to count all the change!
'The trip in South Africa was an amazing experience with the most incredible scenery, brilliant team mates and some very very hard riding. I came away from it stronger as an individual because I had had to face down physical and emotional challenges which took me to my own edges and beyond. Having raised all that money made me more determined than ever to repay the faith that everyone had in me.
'It actually really changed my approach to life. I learned from it that difficult is always achievable and nothing is impossible. It all depends on the want. If you want it badly enough you can do it. It has changed the way I run my business, taught me how to appreciate my family more and I learned how valuable Macmillan is to this country and how easy it is for us all to make a very big difference with what in truth is a small amount of effort.
'The second trip to Vietnam in 2007 was much more of a challenge for fundraising because my wife, Maddy, came too and we needed to raise twice the money. Again with the spirit of having some fun we did a whole bunch of new things as well as the tried and tested ones. I asked my clients again; we did more super market rides; we did a Hoedown at Maddy's school and the proceeds came to Macmillan. That was a hysterical night complete with line dancing, games, auctions etc. We did a spinathon at JJB which brought in £2,000. We had collection tins in gyms and sports centres and before we knew it raised £7,500.
'The trip to Vietnam brought Maddy and I closer together again as a couple because we shared the most incredible journey through mind blowing scenery and villages and toughed it out together through the hardest ride I have ever done. It takes a lot of mental and physical toughness to climb for four hours in 39 degree heat but to have done it together has given us a bond that won't be shaken now by anything.
'These experiences doing the challenges with Macmillan have shown me that raising much needed money for them is not the chore I thought it might be.
'It can be real fun if you plan how you do it to make sure you enjoy it. It can become part of your training and it is so rewarding to meet people who have benefitted from the services of Macmillan. And then there is the challenge itself! You get so much emotional, mental and physical growth from completing the event. You truly do complete something most people would never dream of attempting, go places you would never normally get to experience, meet some incredible people some of whom become best friends.
'There is nothing but tremendous good comes from undertaking these challenges and everyone should do one for their own benefit, society's benefit and of course Macmillan.'
Thank you so much Mike and Maddy, its wonderful that you have raised so much money for Macmillan and, of course, had such fun doing it.