I first rode to Paris in 2016 in the first Jyväskylä team - journey that later changed my life totally even though I didn’t understand it then. I met my husband in our team and got divorced but not right away. It took the second ride to Paris in 2017 before I realised what had to be done in life outside cycling. I also became very close friends with Siiri (who’s our son’s godmother now).

Team Rynkeby Saved My Life

In Team Rynkeby, we often talk about how the work we do helps save the lives of children with critical illnesses. What I did not realise when I joined was that Team Rynkeby might also save my own life.

I had been cycling for more than a decade. Nothing extraordinary – sometimes on my own, sometimes with a local cycling club – but never in a way that truly pushed my limits.

In 2021, my wife and I moved to a new home. Our children had left home, and for the first time in many years we had more time for ourselves. I decided that I wanted a new challenge. How fit could I become? What could I achieve if I really committed myself?

After talking to friends, I applied to Team Rynkeby and was accepted onto Team Rynkeby Øresund for the 2022/2023 season.

Winter training went well. We spent months on spinning bikes, building fitness and preparing for the outdoor season. When we moved outside in February 2023, everything seemed on track. The distances increased, the pace increased, and I could feel myself getting stronger.

Until 18 April 2023.

It was a completely ordinary Tuesday training ride. The weekend before, we had completed a 100 km ride without any problems. That evening, we had covered only about five kilometres and were riding at a moderate pace up a gentle hill when I suddenly stopped pedalling, lost consciousness and fell into the ditch.

A few moments later I was back on my feet.

I felt fine.

I was not exhausted. I was not in pain.

Yet somehow I had fainted.

I visited my doctor, who found nothing obviously wrong and reassured me that fainting can happen. So I carried on training. Over the following weeks I completed rides of 115 km, 125 km, hill training in Sweden and all the usual weekly sessions.

But something was not right.

Instead of getting fitter, I seemed to be getting weaker. Every ride became harder. My performance was moving in the wrong direction despite all the training.

By mid-May, after a conversation initiated by our team captain, I reluctantly accepted that I would not be able to ride to Paris.

I was devastated.

Months of training, fundraising and anticipation had led to this moment, and now it was over.

When another visit to my doctor produced no answers, my wife insisted that I use my health insurance and seek a second opinion.

That decision may very well have saved my life.

At the private hospital, the consultation started with the usual questions. Did I smoke? Did I drink too much alcohol? Was I overweight? Did I exercise?

Then the focus shifted to my family's cardiovascular history.

The doctor performed an ultrasound examination and soon became concerned about what she saw. Further tests were arranged, including a CT scan.

The results revealed two severe narrowings in my left coronary artery. The first restricted blood flow by approximately 70%, while the second was almost completely blocked at around 99%. By the time blood reached the far side of the artery, only a tiny fraction of the normal flow was getting through.

For years—possibly decades—the artery had gradually become blocked. Under normal circumstances I could function reasonably well, but whenever I pushed myself physically, my heart simply could not receive enough oxygen-rich blood to meet the increased demand.

The diagnosis was both shocking and strangely reassuring. Suddenly everything made sense.

The fainting.

The declining fitness.

The exhaustion.

The chest pain.

Within weeks my condition deteriorated further. At one point I could barely walk 500 metres without becoming exhausted and experiencing chest discomfort.

Then, on 26 July 2023, I underwent a balloon angioplasty procedure and had a 6 cm stent inserted into the affected artery.

The effect was immediate.

It felt as if someone had turned a dripping tap fully on.

I was back.

The following year I rejoined Team Rynkeby.

In 2024, I completed every training session and successfully rode all the way to Paris. If I may say so myself, I did it in good style.

In 2025, I joined the Team Rynkeby 100 team and this summer I will once again ride the full distance from Copenhagen to Paris.

Looking back, I realise just how lucky I was.

Had I fainted while driving rather than cycling, or had I fainted alone with nobody around to help, the outcome could have been very different.

Had I never joined Team Rynkeby, I might never have pushed myself hard enough to discover the underlying problem. The condition was not something that appeared overnight. It had been developing silently for years.

Team Rynkeby gave me a challenge.

That challenge exposed a serious medical condition.

That discovery led to treatment.

And that treatment gave me my life back.

So while Team Rynkeby exists to help children with critical illnesses, it also helped save me.

For that, I will always be grateful.

Thank you, Team Rynkeby.

For 25 years, Team Rynkeby has helped create hope for children and their families. In my case, it also gave me a second chance to keep living the life I love.

Anthony, Team Rynkeby Fjordlandet 2026

In 2018, I was there to give a speech at the Town Hall Square in Copenhagen and send off all the Zealand teams. With me I had both my son Mathias and my daughter Laura (pictured with both of them in BCF t-shirts), who on April 7 of that year had been diagnosed with DIPG, a malignant brain tumor, from which she unfortunately died in March 2019.

Laura was treated at the special unit at Rigshospitalet, which was started with funds from BCF and thus from Team Rynkeby. In order to raise money for children with critical illnesses, I have now cycled with Team Rynkeby Øresund for 3 years and am in my 3rd year with Team Rynkeby Galibier, where I am now team captain.

Lasse Piester-Stolpe, Team Rynkeby Galibier

In May 2025, I witnessed what it means when young people put their own needs aside for a while and stand together for others.

Supported by the school staff, their families and everyone in their network, my students raised 105,187.49 kr - they were in the local news (newspaper and radio), they covered 1064.5 km in one hour, they created a party and walked in front of those who can't do it themselves.

My contact group was in charge of organizing the race at the school - and not only did they take on the task, they showed up at the neighboring school to cheer on other students, they were in charge of warming up and preparing everything. For us, it was an event that brought us closer together thanks to, and together with the rest of the group, they exceeded ALL expectations.

I will never forget their joy, their dedication, their commitment and their energy - and on June 3rd I had the Cykeldrengene reveal the amount and give the group the big check they could proudly pass on.

I will remember that group forever - I was proud and touched, and I still am! But TOGETHER you can do a lot - and they showed that! The student team 24/25 has a very special place in my heart 💛

Sidsel, Team Rynkeby Vestjylland, 2025

The story of Kevin Watvedt (21), our youngest cyclist, who was an active youth, but got brain cancer at the age of 16, which turned his whole life upside down.

The operation went well, but the complication that followed has given him various challenges.

But in summer 2026, he will cycle Oslo-Paris with his grandparents as his biggest supporter.
We at TRØ are proud to have him on the team!!

- Team Rynkeby Østfold 2026

Almost a decade ago I thought Rynkeby was just something you drank from a glass for breakfast, but fortunately I quickly learned my lesson!

I started my first year at Team Rynkeby Nordsjælland on the Service Team. Since then it has been a blast. I got a taste for trying my hand at cycling to Paris, and have been in the saddle for 3 seasons in total. I have also been on the Service Team for 3 seasons. One year, my husband and our daughter and I cycled on the same team. That was so nice and fun and we often talk about that year when all 3 of us cycled 💛

All 6 years I have participated have been different and yet a bit similar. Our ultimate purpose in participating is to raise money for children with cancer and their families, as well as for the Children's Lung Foundation 💛

In addition, there is the other element, the social aspect and the training. That is fun! Every year you participate, you get a new 'yellow family' 💛I highly recommend that you try to sign up, and once you've tried it once, you'll want to do it again, and again...

- Charlotte, Team Rynkeby Nordsjælland

From my first trip to Paris at 18, with my dad and the rest of Team Sønderjylland! 💛

Today I'm on season no. 8

- Pernille, Team Rynkeby Sønderjylland

Here is a photo from our first Tour de Paris and also the first Tour for Team Rynkeby Iceland in the summer of 2017. 

Great experience to drive 2000 riders through Paris, for the first time in 2015 where everything is yellow in front and behind you as far as the eye can see 💛💛💛

- Thomas, Team Rynkeby Østjylland

Joining Team Rynkeby means much more than cycling for me.

It’s about riding with a purpose — helping children and their families — but also about sharing values with the people who matter most in my life.

This photo with my son Pablo reminds me why I ride: to show him that effort, teamwork and solidarity can make a real difference.

Proud to be part of the Team Rynkeby family.

- Miguel, Team Rynkeby Europe 2022

The day I hit Paris in 2016 and was received by my grandchildren - was with great pride and joy. I had overcome a serious ovarian cancer myself - where Team Rynkeby Odense was behind me the whole time and gave me strength and in both 2015 and 2016 I had collected 125,000 DKK for children with cancer.

I am eternally grateful to Team Rynkeby for the work you do and the support I received.

- Bente, Team Rynkeby Odense 2016