NURSE and bishop’s wife, Jo Davies, is celebrating after completing one of the UK’s toughest cycle challenges to raise money for Christian Aid.

Jo took part in the Wales In A Day challenge to ride the 185 miles from Caernarfon to Chepstow within 24 hours. Churches and chapels across the country were invited to sponsor her for a special Christian Aid 70th anniversary appeal

Setting off at 4.15am from Caernarfon, Jo made it to Chepstow just under 19 hours later, having climbed 4,500 metres en route..

An experienced long distance cyclist, Jo, who works as a specialist nurse in the NHS blood and transplant service and is married to the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, admitted this was the toughest ride she had ever done. Spurring her on, however, was the thought that her efforts would make a real difference to people in desperate need thanks to the work of Christian Aid.

 She said, “Very early on in the ride I had many doubts that I could do it – the cold affected me hugely and I had many negative thoughts running through my head. I needed to believe in myself and struggled to find it within me.

 “However, the support I had from my co-rider, my family and people tracking us on route was overwhelming. Everyone else had faith me and I was doing it for such an amazing cause. The route was stunning, absolutely breathtaking at times – but so many hills! Though I do love a good hill, maybe not all in one day!

“I began to realise negativity drains and sucks the life blood out of you - I needed to rise above it. Positivity makes you fly or certainly did! The last 22 miles were just awesome!”

Sponsorship money for Jo’s ride is still coming into the Christian Aid offices and to Jo’s online page and it is not too late to donate. Two bishops have pledged to match fund donations from churches in their dioceses. Both the Bishop of Llandaff, Dr Barry Morgan, and the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, John Davies, will match each £70 donation their congregations make.

Huw Thomas, head of Christian Aid Wales, said, “We are very grateful to Jo for taking on this massive cycle challenge for Christian Aid. It’s a wonderful opportunity for us in Wales to raise a substantial amount to mark our anniversary. 70 years after we were founded, Christian Aid’s work remains as vital as ever. Over a third of the world’s population still subsist on less than £2 a day, whilst war and natural disasters bring suffering to millions worldwide.

The money we raise in Wales enables us to continue our work – bringing humanitarian relief to disaster areas, building sustainable communities in the developing world, and battling against the underlying causes of poverty, such as climate change.”

You can sponsor Jo by sending a cheque to Christian Aid Wales, labelled for the Jo Davies Cycle Challenge or you can donate online  at: http://uk.virgin

moneygiving.com/walesinaday