The Peking to Paris Motor Challenge, which I have been driving towards for five long years.
On the afternoon of 14 May 2024 I fly to Peking, where the challenge begins. One week to go.

And in the middle of all this, some very special news.
The Tokyo Shimbun has published my story. The headline: “Fighting — breast cancer and bad roads”.

It is on the Tokyo Shimbun website as well.
Cancer does not mean giving up the dream

The hardships and difficulties along the way have been beyond counting, and I have set them down here bit by bit — but the one that came last may well have been the cancer.

In days like these, having it carried out into the world not as my own posting but in a newspaper, which exists to give people something of use, was a real joy.

On the day of the interview my schedule was packed and chaotic — I asked whether an hour would do, and arrived at a run with my hair everywhere. (Which then went straight into the paper.)

On the day it ran I was, as usual, at my early morning job. I opened my phone on the break to find messages from a crowd of friends about the article, and was taken aback myself.

It was on the front page of the Tokyo Shimbun.

The first person to tell me was my own doctor. A nurse from the clinic had brought it to him first thing.
“So it is nearly here. The departure date is in my calendar too. The nurses all know about you as well.”

Being that well known in a large general hospital is, I suspect, because I was rather a problem case
along the way. Ha.

Having the challenge as a dream and a goal meant I could face the cancer looking forwards — but the timescale, keeping my health together, the weight of it on the mind, none of that was easy.

And within it, the hope and courage I found for myself, and the support I had from the people around me, were what gave me the strength to move.

I am heading now into something punishing, difficult and dangerous, and I do not yet know how I will be able to confirm I am safe or send news. But I hope this article reaches as many people as possible, and gives hope and courage to people fighting cancer, to their families, and to anyone about to walk the same road.

I post on social media too, and I hope you can follow along a little from out there.

This is Facebook
Follow along on Facebook		 This is Instagram
Follow along on Instagram

Fighting cancer is not a lonely business.
All of us can help each other, go forward, and take hold of courage and hope.
I am going out there waving the flag for exactly that.

Finally, my heartfelt thanks to the Tokyo Shimbun for this rare opportunity.