A RETIRED teacher has cycled from Bordeaux to Barcelona to raise money in memory of her husband.

Jan Titchmarsh, 72, from Helmsley, who taught languages, has now raised £5,045 for Yorkshire Cancer Research. Her husband, Michael, died at the age of 73 in March last year after being diagnosed with bladder cancer.

Jan worked for the Foreign Office before marrying and becoming a part-time teacher. She said: "My husband had a wonderful quality of life as a GP in Helmsley. His main priority was his patients, to whom he gave 101 per cent of his time and energy.

"I decided to do the Bordeaux to Barcelona ride on a whim with a friend. Once we had paid up front, the pressure was on."

She spent three months of solitary training cycling around the North Yorkshire countryside, clocking up a total of 1,600 miles.

During her challenge, which was organised by Bike Adventures, she climbed a total of 15,000 metres – the equivalent of one and a half Mount Everests – and even completed a 10km ascent that is used by professionals training for the Tour de France.

She said: "It was tough, but we knew it would be. It was hot some days, some days it was wet, but the bonhomie and the excellent organisation of the fully supported ride made up for the exhaustion.

"We saw some amazing scenery and wildlife, including 40 to 50 black vultures one day. We stayed in Monserrat, next to the monastery, one night, after all the tourists had gone. There was a calm and peaceful atmosphere, high up on the rock. We ended on a high in Barcelona, doing a tour of the city and spending a long time in Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia."

Jan has been a member of Yorkshire Cancer Research’s voluntary fundraising committee in Helmsley since the early 1970s, helping to raise more than £10,000 for the charity every year.

Sally Crerar, head of community fundraising at Yorkshire Cancer Research, said: "Jan is the most amazing and inspiring person, who over the years has contributed enormously to the funds raised by the Helmsley Committee.

"We’d like to say a huge thank you to Jan for her dedication and commitment to raising money for Yorkshire Cancer Research."

To sponsor Jan, visit www.justgiving.com/J-M-Titchmarsh1