‘Beth is my guiding light’: Ben cycling to John O’Groats in memory of daughter
A father is aiming to reach John O’Groats this Saturday after a fundraising bike ride from Land’s End in memory of his daughter who died from bone cancer.
Ben Phelps (48) is cycling just under 1000 miles and is camping every night in his bid to complete the end-to-end route in 14 days. He set off on June 22.
During his self-supported journey, Ben is meeting up with bereaved parents who have lost children to primary bone cancer as well as individuals and families living with its long-term effects.
His daughter, Beth, passed away in October 2022 from Ewing sarcoma, shortly before her 13th birthday.
Beth was diagnosed in early December 2020, when she was 12, and began chemotherapy on Christmas Day.

After nine months of chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy, she was in remission. However, the cancer returned aggressively and nothing else could be done to stop it from taking her life.
Ben, a human resources director from Jersey, is riding a specially designed bike called Mabel. His schedule has included a visit to a hospital team in Oswestry, Shropshire, who specialise in treating bone cancer patients, and a stop at the Bone Cancer Research Trust summer picnic in St Helen’s, Merseyside.
Ben said: “Beth is my guiding light and inspiration always. This might be a tough physical challenge but doesn’t compare to anything she endured.
“Whilst on the road, we want to raise as much awareness as possible so we can find kinder treatments to help more people survive, while also connecting with others who have their own stories to share.
“We miss Beth every day, and we are determined to make a difference in her name.”
Ben and his family created Love Beth, a special fund of the Bone Cancer Research Trust, in May 2023 to raise vital funds for Ewing sarcoma research.
Almost £12,000 has been raised through his JustGiving page.
Louise Everett, senior regional relationship manager at the Bone Cancer Research Trust, said: “This is an incredibly inspiring challenge that Ben is taking on and we have no doubt that he will take it all in his stride for his lovely Beth.
“Here at the Bone Cancer Research Trust, we hear far too often of the heartbreak families go through because of primary bone cancer and we’re so grateful that people like Ben want to keep raising vital funds and awareness.”