In 2018, at 24 years of age, Luke Grenfell-Shaw was given a stage 4 cancer diagnosis and told he had months to live. Within weeks, he also lost his brother John in a freak accident. Most people would have pulled the covers up. Luke signed up for a half marathon, hopped on a stationary bike in the hospital ward, and started planning to cycle from Bristol to Beijing. On 1 January 2020, Luke set off on a tandem bike. Over the next few years he rode 32,000 kilometres through 30 countries, with mo...

Seek Travel Ride

Bella Molloy

Cycling 32,000km After Stage 4 Cancer. A life in Tandem with Luke Grenfell-Shaw

APR 4, 2026101 MIN
Seek Travel Ride

Cycling 32,000km After Stage 4 Cancer. A life in Tandem with Luke Grenfell-Shaw

APR 4, 2026101 MIN

Description

In 2018, at 24 years of age, Luke Grenfell-Shaw was given a stage 4 cancer diagnosis and told he had months to live. Within weeks, he also lost his brother John in a freak accident. Most people would have pulled the covers up. Luke signed up for a half marathon, hopped on a stationary bike in the hospital ward, and started planning to cycle from Bristol to Beijing.On 1 January 2020, Luke set off on a tandem bike. Over the next few years he rode 32,000 kilometres through 30 countries, with more than 800 different people taking a turn on the back seat. Some were strangers he met on the road. Some were friends and family. One was a puppy named Tarzan. The ride became the award-winning documentary A Life in Tandem, which you should watch immediately after listening to this episode.In this episode we talk about:- What it feels like to be diagnosed with stage 4 cancer at 24- Why Luke chose a tandem over a solo bike and what that decision changed- The science behind exercise during chemotherapy and what the research now says- Dev, the Indian man who turned up in jeans, hadn't ridden in three years, and became Luke's longest-serving stoker- The brake failure at 50mph on a Kyrgyzstan mountain pass that ended in a medical clinic - Tarzan the puppy of Uzbekistan (fate: unknown but probably fine)- The post-adventure blues, identity after big goals, and what it means to turn 32 when you once didn't expect to see it- Luke's definition of a 'canliver' and why he prefers it to 'cancer survivor'- What it means to be a professional trail runner representing Great Britain, and what comes nextLuke Grenfell-Shaw is a professional trail runner representing Great Britain, adventurer, filmmaker, and speaker. His documentary A Life in Tandem is available to stream now.Links:- A Life in Tandem documentary - Luke's website and Instagram- Best Foot Forward short film (Luke and Dan in Sichuan): If this episode moved you, plea Check out the Manzanita Cradle from Old Man Mountain Support the showBuy me a coffee!I’m an affiliate for a few brands I genuinely use and recommend including:👉  CycPlus– ePumps (enter code STR for 5% off!)👉 Zorali 👉 Helinox 👉 Ombraz Follow us on Social Media!Instagram - @SeekTravelRideFacebook - Seek Travel RideYouTube - @SeekTravelRideSeek Travel Ride NewsletterLeave me a voicemail message Seek Travel Ride Music Playlist available now on both Spotify or Apple Music