Faster than Leopard

Liz Wardley writes about she and Team Shosholoza sail Mikey Coburn will take on Mike Slade's maxi - on bikes!

Tomorrow Mikey Coburn and myself challenge Leopard to race around the Isle of Wight....100ft maxi racing yacht versus us on Bicycles!

I'd like to take the opportunity to try and spur you on to helping out a great cause. Whether you know Mike Coburn or not, I am sure you will be touched by his plight and what he is out to achieve. In sailing we are always reaching out for the next goal and next adventure, every morning Mikey wakes up he's onto his next goal!

I met Mikey 12 years ago during a Hobie world title and remained great mates; since his Hobie days he's gone onto becoming a great sailmaker, recently involved with his fellow country men on Team Shosholoza for the America's Cup.

On the 17th March 2004 Mikeys whole world came crashing down.... He was diagnosed (by pure chance) as having Chronic Myloid Leukaemia and if untreated was given between three to six months to live. Life as he knew it ended in that split second as he explains: "You`ve got Cancer!" Those three words still ring so clearly in my mind, but I learnt one thing that day; there is no future worrying about, "what if" and "maybe" because it would literally eat you alive. You`ve just got to make the best of a real bad situation and fight... You`ve got the biggest cage brawl on your hands and that fight started 4 years ago for me.

Mikey has started www.cycle4leukaemia.org to raise money and awareness for the Anthony Nolan Trust. "I want to give back to The Anthony Nolan Trust because they gave my life back to me," he says.

With a dedicated team of close friends he will set off in October to cycle from John O`Groats to Land`s End (end to end epic), the furthest possible distance in Britain, in an epic challenge that many only dream of. A distance of nearly 1000 miles through some of the most stunning and remote countryside in the UK.

In the meantime, the people that are helping Mike to fight for his life need more than prayers and positive thoughts. The Anthony Nolan trust needs generous support from you right now.

We always go on that the sailing community is close knit - well here's a chance to support a fellow sailor for an awesome cause, here's your chance to make a difference!

All information on the project, for sponsoring the 'end to end epic' and making donations to the Anthony Nolan Trust can be found on the website www.cycle4leukaemia.org Every little bit is important in order to make the dream a reality.