Med student’s charity-fueled year of recuperation
By: Communications
Alex Florance, a fifth-year medical student at UEA, has raised over £1500 for Papyrus UK, a charity dedicated to the prevention of suicide and promotion of positive wellbeing in young people.
In 2024, Alex completed a 750-mile cycle ride across Spain over the course of 9.5 days, covering 100 miles a day with 2 rest days.
We caught up with Alex as he started on the fifth year of his studies.
Q. Why did you decide to do your cycle ride?
A. I chose to cycle for various reasons, partly as an escape for my mental health, partly because I was falling out of love with medicine a little bit, and I thought I needed to make the most of the time that I had. I love cycling and I knew I wanted to go to Spain, cycling a journey that was between 700-900 miles.
Q. And it was for charity?
A. It was for Papyrus, a mental health charity, which at the time, was poignant for me. I thought, you know, I've taken a year out because I want to get my get my get my head straight, and Papyrus links really well with that. It particularly supports young people and suicide prevention and their mental wellbeing, with a focus on awareness.
Another reason I chose it was because of the Three Dads Walking, which is quite a personal cause to me. The Three Dads Walking is a cause formed by three dads who lost their daughters to suicide, and now they work to raise money for suicide prevention and raising awareness. When I was a kid, I used to do a lot of competitive swimming, which I still do, but one of the girls which I swam with back then was Emily Owen. When she died a few years later, it was an enormous shock to the community, and her dad, Tim, has been truly inspirational, he’s the most incredible man ever and such an inspiring guy. He’s doing such an incredible job at raising awareness of young suicide and suicide prevention, and I thought that it would be great to do that as well, and great to help support that charity too.
Q. Have you had any great support on your journey?
A. I had some nice support from Tim Owen, who sent me some lovely messages of support. The people I've met on my course at UEA have been really supportive too, especially through the sort of little mini cycling community at UEA. One of the things I struggled with was the routes, which were quite difficult. Often the maps and the actual road surface didn’t quite match up, so it was even more difficult because the roads on the map were different from the actual roads, and sometimes I just needed an experienced cyclist just to say you've got this, or you're doing good. So, I called a few people who I'd met at university and got a nice little bit of encouragement, a nice bit of advice, which was lovely. I also had some amazing support from my fiancée, Beth, who encouraged me to do this and was always levelheaded when I called her up from the middle of nowhere multiple times a day!
Q. What was an unexpected outcome of your cycling?
A. I'm very much of the mindset of taking time out is the best is the best way to go when you feel like you need it.
because you don't really grow as a person when you're in the moment, when you're swept up in the whirlwind of whatever course you're doing, and it's a case of you just survive and do your coursework, and whatever other extra curriculum and stuff you want to do. But I think existing as an adult in the real world is very different, and it’s not until you are out of the university bubble that you see that. I think learning that has a lot of value in it. I also absolutely fell in love with Spain and Spanish people. Everywhere I went I was greeted with warmth, and the Spanish lifestyle gave me such a different perspective on life.
Q. What was your favourite part of travelling?
A. There is a couple that spring to mind, so I was exhausted when I got to Salamanca and then walked out into the main square, and there were so many people around, and it just was the most amazing atmosphere. I sat and found a restaurant just off the main square and I had a conversation with one of the waiters while I was eating, and fumbled my way through my journey and what I had been up to. I tried to explain the fact that I needed to have 3 meals because I was hungry from just cycling 200km. It was a fantastic interaction, and the waiter was so warm and patient despite my dismal attempts to speak Spanish. It really made me feel welcomed.
The other was the ride into Salamanca itself. It had been an utterly incredible, if very hilly, day of cycling. The route had been stunning, over 1100m elevation at times, the scenery was beautiful, and there was a gorgeous long undulating but slightly downhill ride into Salamanca. As I rolled into the city with the sun setting, I remember feeling an overwhelming emotion of joy and relief.
Q. Are you glad to be studying again?
I am really glad to be back studying again. Although I’m very glad I took a year out, the people at UEA are so warm and welcoming, and I’ve been longing to use my brain for something for a while! I’m now on placement, and although it’s a very stark contrast from what I’ve been doing for the past year (working in a bike shop). It’s brilliant fun and I’m very excited at the prospect of working as a doctor this time next year. I feel as though my time out and experiences this year have helped me become more well-rounded and resilient.
If the topics raised in Alex’s story have affected you in anyway, please see the following links for access to wellbeing services and support:
Papyrus – the charity Alex has raised money for, supporting young people and suicide prevention.
HOPELINE247- Papyrus’s helpline, available on their website or call 0800 068 414.
UEA Student Support- for UEA’s students, for support and wellbeing advice whenever you need them.
Norfolk and Waveney Mind - Home- a local charity focused on wellbeing and support to vulnerable people.