Dear people of Gilgit-Baltistan, if you come across a pink tandem on the Karakoram Highway, be generous with a smile and a wave to Luke Grenfell-Shaw, a young man from Bristol, United Kingdom (UK), who is cycling with his friend TJ Mitchell, as a part of his 30,000 kilometers (km) long journey planned to end in Beijing next year.

Grenfell-Shaw, 27, is a CanLiver, meaning a person who’s living with cancer facing uncertainty and challenge on a daily basis. (He himself coined the word.) He was diagnosed with stage-4 cancer some three years ago but decided that the disease was not going to stop him from living his life to its fullest. His aim is to travel from Bristol, UK, to Beijing, China, on a bicycle – two riders and their luggage – to show that everyone can create opportunities for themselves to lead a rich and fulfilling life, even when afflicted with a cancer. Grenfell-Shaw is aiming to raise £300,000 for five cancer-related charities. His Oxford University class fellow TJ Mitchel is accompanying him on the tandem for the part of the journey that they are currently pursuing in Pakistan. Their plan is to cover 30,000 kilometres in 30 countries on wheels for this inspiring cause.

Born and bred in Bristol, Grenfell-Shaw did his master’s from Oxford University in environmental sciences, specialising in water studies. Luke was teaching in Russia around three and a half years ago when he first started experiencing problems in his left shoulder. He was later diagnosed with stage-4 cancer on his return to his hometown. His disease was diagnosed just a month after he came in second in a 50 kilometre cycle race.

“I decided [then and there] to do everything I could to enjoy life; to do maximum exercise and follow the diet plan,” he tells The News on Sunday (TNS), adding, “I believe cycling and exercise made my body stronger, and, perhaps just because I chose [to stick to] my own way of life, I am now on remission from this disease.”

Grenfell-Shaw has been cycling since his childhood and now, after the disease, has turned it into a passion. He believes cycling around the world is an interesting, exciting and rich way of living.

The two riders from England have started their adventure from the Khunjerab Pass and aim to cycle their way back to Islamabad. The next 6,000 miles will take Grenfell-Shaw through the north of India, from Delhi to Kolkata along the Grand Trunk Road, through Bangladesh and Myanmar, and then he plans to cross into China and cycle north to Beijing.

Grenfell-Shaw, 27, is a CanLiver, meaning a person who’s living with cancer facing uncertainty and challenge on a daily basis. He was diagnosed with stage-4 cancer some three years ago but decided that the disease was not going to stop him from living his life to its fullest.

One of the purposes of this self-financed trip of his is to raise funds for five cancer charities. “I expect this [raising funds] will take around another twelve months for me to be on the road.” Little apprehensive, Grenfell-Shaw says as he never has been to any of these countries. But he is sure he will meet hundreds, if not thousands, of lovely people and different cultures on this trip.

While living in Central Asia he heard from some students belonging to Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) about the inspiring mountains of GB; soon after which he planned a trip to explore the Northern Areas of Pakistan.

“It has been so exciting to witness the beauty of the Northern Areas [firsthand] and cycling on the Silk Road,” he says, adding, “What is outstanding is the warm reception and welcome from people in GB that we have met. We have started learning some Urdu too,” he smiles. He says GB is an interesting place with a rich history and nice people. “I think Pakistan is mis-portrayed by the Western media.” Grenfell-Shaw does not entertain a lot of fears about security while coming to Pakistan, on the contrary, he was looking forward to seeing the beautiful mountains of the country and the hospitality and kindness of its people.

For Grenfell-Shaw, exploring the world on a bicycle is more honest than a motorbike as you have to drag the cycle with the force of your own body. It is also easy to repair without having to search for a mechanic everywhere.

Grenfell-Shaw will arrive in Lahore at the end of this month. He will participate in talks with schools and group rides with Critical Mass. He will also be visiting Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre hoping to talk to some CanLivers as part of his journey in Lahore.

Overall, so far, he has been on 22 cycling missions with as many as 150 companions including a dozen CanLivers from time to time.

Grenfell-Shaw wants to end his year-long journey in Beijing. He liked the sound of Bristol and Beijing, something that also attracted him to use the hashtag #BristolToBeijing for this trip. Talking about his interest in cycling through China, Luke says, “It is really important to me to experience the country which will powerfully influence the course of the 21st Century, on my own; rather than [getting information about it] only through media outlets that focus on geopolitics and particularly negative aspects. I want to develop a better understanding of China, and this will be impossible without going there. His original plan was to go to China first but due to Covid-19 restrictions, it didn’t seem possible.

“I am accompanying Luke on this journey as a friend of his and an ambassador of Oxford Pakistan Partnership, to promote the network,” says Manchester based Mitchel, who is also a PhD student at Oxford. “The Oxford Pakistan Partnership aims to develop academic links between Pakistani people and the University.” This network helps Pakistanis with funds and fellowships.

A relatively less experienced cyclist, Mitchel seems nervous about the prospect of riding in the mountains during the cold weather, which he thinks would be a little tough for him. But he is motivated to explore Pakistan as a goodwill gesture between the Oxford Network and the Pakistani people.

For Grenfell-Shaw, weather does not matter when one is having a once in a lifetime experience. “It’s my firm belief that we all can live richly and fully, even with cancer. It’s up to us all to proactively create our own opportunities to live our best lives today, tomorrow and every day after that,” says Luke Grenfell-Shaw.

The author is a staff reporter. He can be reached at: vaqargillani@gmail.com. He tweets @waqargillani