An African adventure in memory of Sue

Janice Small is 78 years old and her love of cycling has taken her on adventures far and wide. She is part of the ‘Isle of Arran Belles’ - a ladies cycling group based on Arran, an island off the west coast of Scotland.

The Arran Belles have undertaken numerous rides as part of fundraising efforts for Doddie Aid over the years, and together they raised over £4,000 during Doddie’5 Ride in Melrose in July 2022.

Most recently, in March this year, Janice cycled through Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe - a section of the Tour d’Afrique (TDA) cycling expedition from Cairo to Cape Town. She took this on not just for the adventure, but to raise funds for us and in memory of her friend Sue. Sue was a fellow Arran Belle, who was diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND) in late 2020, and died within two years.

“I first heard about the Cairo to Cape Town cycle in 2012, when I was cycling across America,” Janice explained, “it really appealed to me, but life and other international tours got in the way.”

Over a decade later, Janice decided the time had finally come to tackle the ride across Africa.

“Here I am 14 years later, but instead of cycling the whole route I popped in for a section through Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. I’m older now, at 78 years,” she acknowledged, “and reluctantly had to accept that the whole journey would be a cycle too far.”

After having done her fair share of fundraising in the past, at first Janice felt hesitant about using this challenge to raise additional funds for charity, “but then I thought, it’s not about me!” She continued: “If I can raise a few pounds, that amount might tip the scales.”

Janice initially set herself a fundraising target of £500 and has now raised more than double that.

So, on 5 March 2026, Janice found herself in Glasgow Airport, with her bike boxed up and ready for the long journey to Malawi, via London and Ethiopia, to start the cycle on 9 March.

"We were camping and had to erect our tents, dismantle them the next morning and pack away,” Janice said, “it was all quite arduous after a long day of cycling. I find the African heat oppressive, and temperatures were sometimes as high as 40° Celsius.”

In a bid to combat the extreme temperatures, Janice would get up at 4.00am each day to be on the go for 6.00am. The first day saw her cycle 96 miles into Zambia, and the state of the roads throughout the ride made each mile feel all the more hard-earned: “The route was a mixture of tarmac, dirt, and in Zimbabwe especially, mostly potholes with a little tarmac! It was very challenging.”

The conditions took a toll on Janice’s health too: “Unfortunately I had a reaction to my malarial tablets, so some days on the bike were very uncomfortable - I had hives, heat spots, and an upset tummy.”

Consequently, Janice occasionally had to take time out in a support vehicle, “but a consolation is that I wasn’t the only one,” she added. “We had to be very careful of infections too, so hygiene was paramount. At least three of the core cyclists had to return home due to injuries or infections.”

Despite the difficulties, Janice and the other riders were surrounded by a fantastic support team consisting of a Tour Leader, Assistant Leaders, a doctor, a mechanic, a chef and drivers.

“They were wonderful - always smiling, never grumpy,” she stated, “and they all mucked in to cope with whatever the day threw at them!”

Special memories of the ride include crossing and swimming in Lake Kariba, hippos coming out of the Zambezi River to graze on grass between the group’s tents, and a helicopter ride over Victoria Falls, as well as “the friendly local people, always waving, curious, the children shouting ‘how are you?’ as we cycled past,” Janice added.

And through every mile, Sue wasn't far from Janice's thoughts.

Janice’s story is one of friendship, adventure and the desire to help make a difference for those less fortunate than others.

If you’re keen to help raise some money for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation too, then take a look here. Whether you’re cycling through a different continent or cycling your local roads at home, every effort helps bring us closer to our vision of a world free of MND.