Annelies & Peer Baneke

My father takes a tumble....

This is my (Peer's) father during my last holiday with him in 1978. We had driven from Amsterdam to a village 20 kilometres from Mont Ventoux, one of the legendary Tour de France mountains. The caravan was ideal for my father's MS: feel tired - park and have a rest; you never need to search for a toilet;  no need for hotels with long corridors.
  

We are fundraising for a world without MS

A few weeks ago I turned 70 and at the end of this year I will retire as CEO of the MS International Federation (MSIF). To mark these personal milestones, I will be joining a group of passionate riders to complete ‘Cykelnerven’, a four-day cycling challenge, conquering some of the toughest mountains of this year’s Tour de France. Recent medical advice has hindered my ability to tackle this challenge by myself, so I have formed a mini-team with my daughter, Annelies. Between the two of us, we will get to the top!  Where there's a will there's a way - or perhaps where there's a bike , there's a Baneke!

Riders come from a range of countries and all are raising funds to support MSIF and its aim to bring the world together to end MS. I can’t think of a better farewell gift (and 70th birthday present!) to ask my friends, colleagues, and family for their sponsorship.

This is a gruelling course, but a huge motivator for Annelies and me will be thinking of people such as my (Peer's) father (Annelies' grandfather), who had MS, and of the daily challenges they face. By completing Cykelnerven and raising funds, we hope that all riders can be a beacon of hope for anyone affected by MS.

Annelies and I will be setting off in the first week of June. Please join us in the fight against MS by making a donation on this page.

Thank you for your kind & generous support !

Annelies and Peer