A Yorkshire travel agent will start training next month for a fundraising cycle ride – once she has recovered from a major operation.
Sam Walton, a partner at independent agency Acomb Travel, underwent a hysterectomy just before Christmas but is determined to get back on her bike in February.
She will be cycling from Milan to Venice over three days in May, in a Women v Cancer event, which will raise money for Breast Cancer Care, Jo’s Cervical Cancer Trust and Ovarian Cancer Action.
Joining her will be friends Sarah Hyde and Gill Mallon, who have both been treated for breast cancer. They were diagnosed with the disease after signing up for the charity ride last year.
“We are still determined to do the 220 miles in three days – it’s not a race, and we will carry each other along,” said Walton.
The team members are also fundraising with raffles and events at their local pub.
Walton is no stranger to fundraisers or major medical procedures – she underwent a hip replacement operation nine years ago, and ran in the Yorkshire Marathon in 2014.
“I have decided that power walking or running will not help my hip replacement. I would like to keep my hip going for a few more years, so cycling it is,” she said.
She has set herself a target of £2,000 and said even donations of £1 will help her to reach her goal.
A member of the Advantage Travel Partnership, Acomb Travel is in Acomb, on the outskirts of York.
To sponsor her, visit her JustGiving page at justgiving.com/fundraising/samantha-walton10