A couple of weeks ago, one of our 1080 wonderful Doers got in touch to let us know how she’d got on with her DoAction pledge. It put such a smile on my face and fire in my belly that I thought I ought to share her success story.

So here we go – a brief interview with Sue Armstrong, a Press Officer at Alzheimer’s Research UK from Cambridge:

You sponsored the ForumTriathletes for their Hever Castle Triathlon; what made you want to support them?

My daughter, Louise, works for Forum for the Future and I was very keen to support her and her colleagues when they took part in an inspiring triathlon.

You sponsored them by doing ‘On yer bike’, cycling to work.  Tell us a bit about that…

I love the bike culture in Cambridge where I live, so doing the ‘On yer bike’ challenge seemed perfect. So, I decided to cycle to work everyday, a 12 mile round trip. I thought it was a long way to start with but actually it only took me 45-50 mins each way.

It soon became part of my daily routine, time to think and enjoy the fresh air. As I was on a DoNation pledge, wind and rain didn’t put me off.

How did you used to get to work?

Before I used to cycle to the station and get the train one stop to work which made up the bulk of the journey. If the weather was bad I’d jump in the car.

I occasionally cycled all the way to work but, without a goal, it was too easy not to.

Having the DoNation focus and goal has really helped me complete the challenge.

And the result…?

As a result I’m delighted to tell you that I have:

• Cycled 480 miles
• Saved over £93 in train fares
• Felt happier and fitter in myself
• Lost half-a-stone in weight (combined with a healthier diet)
• Inspired my work colleagues and friends to think about cycling too.

Wow! Will you keep it up?

I thoroughly enjoyed it and plan to continue cycling to work every day.

Here’s for the obligatory random question: X-factor, Downton Abbey, or Frozen Planet?!

I have to admit – X-factor, my guilty pleasure!

Anything else you’d like to add?

I think DoNation is a fantastic! The pledge ideas are so inspiring, I plan to try more. And, as I’ve found, a DoNation can inspire you for a lifetime not just for two months.

If that’s inspired you, why not start raising your own sponsorship, giving your friends the same experience?  Or simply sponsor the incredible Mark Wood.

We’d also really love your support to help us to keep Doing…see here for what we need.