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This year, LSHTM was extremely proud to have 23 riders sign up to cycle a challenging 55 miles from London to Brighton, to raise funds for the LSHTM Scholarship Fund, The Val Curtis Memorial Fund, and the Health in Humanitarian Crises Centre.

The team trained hard and fundraised even harder, raising an incredible £8,500 for these important and evermore relevant causes.

On 11 September, these inspirational LSHTM alumni, staff and students took part in the official London to Brighton cycle ride, alongside over 4000 other charity riders. Meeting as early as 06:00 in central London, they pedalled out of the city towards the coast, with the wind in their hair and the sun on their backs.

Cycling 55 miles is no mean feat, especially when faced with multiple training sessions and hard work to get into shape before the ride. During the ride itself, there’s an electric atmosphere that helps build motivation to keep pedalling, which comes to fruition on the approach to the looming spectre of Ditchling Beacon, a known obstacle of the South Downs, before the exhilarating descent to the city of Brighton itself.

Nina’s story

Our fastest rider and LSHTM alumni Nina completed the route in under 4 hours, motivated to raise funds for LSHTM following the recent loss of her mother to COVID-19. Instead of choosing not to ride in these very difficult and saddening circumstances, Nina was spurred on and said:

“This just confirms how important LSHTM's research and work is, and how we need to help fund the education of our future global health leaders at the school.”

Nina’s story – in her words

As an alumni of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), I am honoured to help fundraise for such an important cause. I spent an incredible year of my life at the school, graduating with my MSc, and meeting so many incredible scientists, researchers and doctors from all over the globe who all shared the same passion and mission - improving health, worldwide.

My mother sadly passed away recently in her care home, in Japan, not from Alzheimer's Disease which placed her there, but from succumbing to COVID-19 infection. Today, I reflect on how all our lives have been affected by this global pandemic and what we can do now to help improve our chances of a better future.

Future success in controlling epidemics depends on having qualified healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills to make a difference. We need to educate and empower our next generation of global health leaders.

The LSHTM Scholarship Fund helps the best and most promising students of all backgrounds from the UK and global health’s traditionally under-represented communities, to access their qualifications. Your donation will directly go to help such students get the opportunity they might not otherwise afford. 

I have never cycled more than 45km on my bike (indoor/road) in a single ride or day, so attempting to cycle 88.5km (55 miles) from London to Brighton will be a challenge, but knowing that I am pedalling for such a worthwhile cause will keep me focused and determined to cross the finish line on September 11th.

Nina at the start of the ride in London, with a family photo

Nina after Ditchling Beacon

Nina after Ditchling Beacon

Nina at the finish line in Brighton

Nina at the finish line in Brighton, with a family photo

Nina with a finisher’s medal in Brighton

Carine at the start of the ride in London

Carine at Ditchling Beacon

Carine with a finisher’s medal in Brighton

Monika Kraszewska-Hamilton taking a quiet break on the route

Richard, Martin and Alvaro at the start in London

Richard and Avaro on the route to Brighton - Ditchling Beacon

Richard and Alvaro arrive in Brighton

The LSHTM Scholarship Fund

We believe access to education should be available to all, regardless of financial status and economic background. An increasing number of university students face substantial worries trying to make ends meet while studying. To deliver on our mission to improve health and health equity worldwide, we champion the role that scholarships play for promising students from both the UK and global health's traditionally under-represented communities.

Thank you

We want to say a huge well done and thank you to Nina, and all the amazing LSHTM riders who took part in this historic challenge in 2022, raising vital funds for LSHTM’s crucial work, including enabling opportunities and career pathways for the most talented students from around the globe. Thank you so much for your hard work and we hope you feel proud of this lifetime achievement!

Getting involved

LSHTM riders will be representing our School again in this ride in September 2023. If you would like to ride the London to Brighton ride in 2023, please .

You can also to run the Cambridge Half Marathon in March 2023 and the in April 2023. All runners and riders are eligible for a thank you gift bag from the alumni office. To find out more please email us at alumni@lshtm.ac.uk.