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Surgeons swap their scrubs for cycling gear as they take on 220-mile ride for endometriosis sufferers

  • Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women from puberty to menopause, although the impact can be felt for life;
  • On May 18, 11 surgeons and endometriosis specialists will cycle 220 miles in two days from London to Newport to raise money for Endometriosis UK;
  • The cyclists will stop off at endometriosis centres along the route and finish at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff.

On 18 May, a team of 11 endometriosis surgeons and specialists will cycle 220 miles from London to Newport to raise funds for Endometriosis UK.

The cycle ride will take them through some of the UK’s top landmarks, including Stonehenge, Winchester Cathedral and Cardiff Bay, as well as visiting 7 endometriosis specialist centres.

Endometriosis affects 1 in 10 women from puberty to menopause, although the impact can be felt for life. The surgeons and specialists have seen first-hand the devastating impact the condition can have on women’s lives, and want the cycle ride to raise awareness of the condition and the pressing need for more research.

Endometriosis takes an average of 7.5 years to diagnose, and the cyclists believe that more needs to be done in the area of research and education to drive this statistic down.

Chris Hardwick, Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow, who is heading up the cycle race, said: “I’m delighted to be taking on the gruelling cycle ride from London to Wales in aid of Endometriosis UK. Endometriosis is a complex debilitating disease that affects 1.5 million women in the UK from puberty to menopause, causing chronic pain and fertility problems.

“Everyone cycling has seen first-hand the devastating impact this disease can have on sufferers’ lives, and there is a desperate need to provide more support for those affected. We need more research into diagnosis and management, given that there is currently no cure for the disease. This is our part in supporting Endometriosis UK campaign for better awareness and support for the 1.5 million women in the UK affected by this disease”.

The cyclists will set off on their ride Saturday 18 May, and finish at Celtic Manor in Newport the following day, where the British Society for Gynaecological Endoscopy (BSGE) Annual Conference will take place.

For more information on the bike ride including details of the full route and how to sponsor, visit: https://www.endometriosis-uk.org/blog/your-bike-surgeons-take-220-mile-cycle-ride-endometriosis-uk

Meet the team:

  • Antony Nicoll - Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, NHS Tayside, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee
  • Anna Stępniak MD - 3rd Department of Gynaecology, Medical University of Lublin, Poland
  • Chris Hardwick – Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow
  • Ken Lim – Consultant Gynae-Oncologist, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff
  • Natasha Waters – Consultant Gynaecologist
  • Peter Hinstridge - Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, North Middlesex University Hospital, London
  • Piotr Czuczwar - Consultant Gynaecologist, Poland
  • Simon Phillips – Consultant Colo-rectal Surgeon, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff
  • Tom Aust – Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist, Arrowe Park Hospital, Merseyside
  • Adam Elliott - Thames Water
  • Paul Lewis – KARL STORZ

Support Vehicles:

Elizabeth Bruen – Endometriosis Nurse Specialist, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff

Richard Penketh – Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff

Lutfi Shamsuddin – Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff

Meet the sponsors:

  • KARL STORZ
  • KEBOMED UK
  • PlasmaJet by Plasma Surgical 
  • Olympus Medical
  • Medtronic UK
  • Aquilant