Yesterday was the official launch day for the 2010 Rome 2 Home challenge.  This is the latest GM Fundraising event in which 18 of us from across the industry will cycle 1600 miles from the Coliseum in Rome back to Oswestry - the home of the Hope House children’s hospice.

I've been involved with GM Fundraising for several years and it’s a great initiative that shows just what our industry is capable of.  I rode in both the 2006 Tower 2 Tower event from the Eiffel Tower to Blackpool Tower (...my first real time on a bike since leaving school!) and the epic 2008 3000 mile Ride 4 Hope across America.

Ride 4 Hope has now been captured in an impressive hardback book, also published yesterday, written by Graeme Bailey of Business Micros.  Graeme kept a journal on his laptop as we cycled across the States and has now put his words together with some of the best (...and most embarrassing) photos from the 17 day ride into a funny and very readable story.  The book costs £20 and all the money raised will be going to the Hope House charity to add to the £91,000 which we raised from the ride.

Next year’s event cycling just 1600 miles seems relatively easy in comparison but I'm not underestimating the challenge of riding Mount Ventoux - 26km long, 2000m high. And it's defeated far better riders than most of us over the years!

I've paid my deposit and been measured up for kit, so there’s no going back now! Keep checking back because I’ll start appealing for sponsorship here very soon.  There's already a Just Giving page set up at www.justgiving.com/rome-2-home  and you can find out further details at www.gmfundraising.co.uk 

As Morty would say - Keep 'em spinnin'!