A WOMAN with cancer is cycling from London to Paris in 24 hours to raise funds for a charity set up by her radiologist.

Jo Green, from Poole, was diagnosed with multiple neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) in 2011 after suffering with symptoms for around 15 years. She underwent surgery to remove the tumours that had grown in her bowel and bladder but while the operation removed some of the cancer, she was told it would grow back and was incurable.

However, the fitness instructor has fought back and is now raising money for PLANETS, a Southampton Hospital charity that supports liver, pancreatic and neuroendocrine cancer patients and invests in novel treatments and research.

Joining Jo for the challenge will be her radiologist, Brian Stedman, and 52 other doctors, nurses and patients who support the charity.

She said the team were “really proud” to be cycling the 300km (186 mile) distance from London to Paris in June.

Unfortunately, her training got off to a bad start after her brand new bike for the challenge was stolen. But Brian has since helped raise the funds needed to buy her a new bike.

She said: “I’d only been on one ride when it got stolen, and it was so gutting because a lot of the group have been going out two or three times a week to train.

“Brian rang to tell me he was setting up a crowdfunding page to help buy me a new bike, which was amazing. People’s generosity has been incredible and I will end up with an even nicer bike now, which will be more comfortable for the 300km I’m undertaking.”

She added: “I’ve raised £1,000 in sponsorship for the ride so far, and I’ve even had donations from people I went to school with, which is just lovely.

“I’ve always kept myself very fit, but it’s more important than ever now as the cancer I have is incurable. Raising awareness for the charity has been a really positive focus for me, and I’m delighted to be involved.”

Jo has raised £40,000 for the charity since she began fundraising. The group involved in this latest challenge aim to raise £25,000, which will go towards bringing Intra-Operative Radiotherapy (IORT) to Southampton Hospital, enabling patients to receive radiotherapy during their operation to treat cancers that cannot be completely removed or to ‘zap’ areas the cancer may return to. It will be the first machine of its kind to be used in the UK.

Visit Jo’s fundraising page at justgiving.com/LP24forPLANETS