LifeCycle Foundation’s gruelling challenges support renal patients in Malta

In 1999, my wife, Carmen, developed kidney failure and needed to go for dialysis at the renal unit in Malta, which was at St Luke's Hospital at that time. The care and consideration hospital staff devoted to Carmen's care was so impressive that I decided

Joined by three other cyclists, we completed a journey of 3,200km in 19 days. We received an unexpectedly overwhelming response from the general public and sponsors, so we decided this event must not be a one-off stunt. LifeCycle was born and within that same year the LifeCycle (Malta) Foundation was established.

With the passage of two decades, we have matured. Today we raise awareness and generate support for patients suffering from end-stage renal disease. The funds we raise through our activities go towards research, both locally and internationally, trying to determine causes and cures for renal failure.

Our main area of focus is the Renal Unit Support Health Hub; the Rush project, which is the next step in our saga of providing care to renal patients. Renal failure requires a multifaceted approach. Providing renal patience with appropriate psychological support is of top priority, as giving them the tools that help them handle their condition will result in a dramatic increase in the quality of life. Additionally, as phase two, we are targeting aspects that lead to this detrimental disease, which can be avoided by adopting a healthy lifestyle.

The LifeCycle (Malta) Foundation team has travelled to over 50 countries. We have raised over €3,000,000, which suggests that this format has been successful. By organising one of the most gruelling endurance events in Europe, our dedicated team of international cyclists, pit against the elements in a long-distance ride through different countries all over the world. The next LifeCycle Challenge is scheduled for 7-21 March when we will be attempting to complete another 2,000km herculean ride from Buenos Aires (Argentina) to Santiago (Chile) in a mere 10-day journey. We will continue choosing glamorous yet challenging locations which not only attract the participants but also intrigue the media and entice sponsors. Nestlé Malta's Nescafé has been our main title sponsor for the past two