This is Cambridge launch ‘1in7’ campaign and cap

Chronic pain affects 1 in 7 people in the UK and can be a crippling and life-changing illness. This is Cambridge say that it’s an under recognised condition leaving many people to suffer in silence without effective help or treatment. They hope to do something about this through cycling and their cycle caps.

This is Cambridge make a variety of cycling caps, from city casual to race lightweight, as well as a small wardrobe of socks and cycle tops, and they’re close to the issue of chronic pain because Daphne Kaufhold, founder of TiC, has been suffering from severe chronic pain for over 5 years after a road traffic accident. It has changed every aspect of her life and requires constant strength and determination in order to manage her condition. For her every day is like climbing a mountain.

TiC say that as cyclists we are all familiar with a certain amount of pain and suffering, it’s a big thing in cycling nowadays, Suffering. A marketable commodity even. However ours is relatively short lived and subsides once we’ve reached the summit or the finish line. But for some people the struggle doesn’t stop and daily life is one of constant pain.

If you don’t know what chronic pain is then all you have to do is think of the worst pain you’ve ever experienced and imagine it will stay with you constantly — for the rest of your life. You can learn more about chronic pain on the This is Cambridge 1in7 page.

Cycling is an effective and important pain management tool for Daphne. “Cycling is an immensely important part of my life” she says, “the training, challenge and achievement gives me the strength, focus and purpose to help me manage my daily life of pain. The natural endorphins provide me with temporary pain relief, which in turn helps me cope better with my pain throughout the day. There is no question that the psychological and physical effect of cycling is an essential part of staying resilient and coping with this immensely challenging condition”.

Daphne and This is Cambridge want to raise awareness of the issues facing chronic pain sufferers, and actively promote the benefits of exercise as a way of helping to self-manage chronic pain by producing a special edition TiC Panache plume ‘1in 7’ cycling cap.

£5 from the sale of each cap will be donated to fund essential research into chronic pain.

This is Cambridge