Earlier in October, Lee Maloney took a flight to the Netherlands with their bike, camping gear, and a goal of cycling 2,470km to raise funds and awareness for gender-affirming care. With over 1,000km already completed, they spoke to GCN about their journey so far and why they felt the need to take on this challenge.

“I think, more than anything, it came from a feeling of powerlessness,” they said. “When you’re a trans person and trying to access gender-affirming healthcare in Ireland, it can feel like so much of your autonomy is taken away from you. You’re constantly navigating barriers, waiting lists and financial pressures, and over time that really starts to chip away at you.

“It’s the everyday things too. The exhaustion of binding and taping, the constant awareness of your body, and the emotional weight of knowing that the healthcare you need is so far out of reach.”

For Lee, this cycle was a way to reclaim some power and autonomy and remind themself what they are capable of. The number of kilometres they are covering is significant too, as they explain it represents the approximately 2,470 people currently on the waitlist for gender-affirming care in Ireland.

“I wanted every kilometre to represent a person waiting for care, and to make the scale of the issue something people could actually visualise,” they shared.

After arriving in Amsterdam on October 8, they cycled through the Netherlands and Belgium before making their way into France. From there, they travelled south from Lyon and eventually reached the Mediterranean coast. At the time of writing, they are travelling west towards Spain, with Barcelona being their next major milestone.

There have been a number of trials and triumphs along the route. The hardest part, they say, has been “the sheer mental endurance required”, especially because they are cycling solo.

“Most days I have cycled over 100km carrying everything I own, only to arrive somewhere completely exhausted and still have to figure out where I’m sleeping, what I’m eating and how I’m getting through the following day,” they expressed.

“I’ve also experienced relentless rain, thunderstorms, mechanical issues and some incredibly challenging terrain. The mountains in southern France were particularly difficult. Being terrified of heights, there were moments where I genuinely questioned what I’d gotten myself into!”

However, there have also been some incredible highlights. Lee said that their favourite part has “been the people and the conversations [the fundraiser] has already started”.

“Despite being so far away from home, I’ve never felt so supported and connected to the people in my community. Seeing the beautiful messages coming in, people sharing their own experiences, and watching my friends do absolutely everything they can to support me has been incredibly moving.

“Two weeks in, a few of my friends even flew over just to spend my rest days with me and give me some much-needed emotional support. That meant more to me than I can put into words.”

Lee added that while the mental endurance has been one of the most difficult parts, it has also been incredibly rewarding: “There have been so many moments where I’ve genuinely doubted whether I could keep going, only to find myself doing exactly that.

“It’s given me a completely different appreciation for my body, not necessarily for how it looks, but for what it’s capable of. As a trans person, I think there’s something particularly powerful about that. I’ve been able to focus less on the things I struggle with about my body and more on the extraordinary things it can do.”

Once they reach Barcelona, they will fly home to Galway for the final 400km of their route. Joined by a group of their closest friends, they will cycle east to Dublin, which they anticipate “will probably be the best part of the whole journey!”

At present, Lee has raised almost €2,400 of their €8,000 goal. The funds will go towards their top surgery, with any excess going to Transgender Equality Network Ireland (TENI).

On their GoFundMe page for their cycling journey, they explain that receiving this gender-affirming care would mean “an enormous amount” and “be genuinely life-changing”.

“I want the freedom to feel comfortable in my body and move through everyday life without the constant gender dysphoria that a lack of access to healthcare has caused,” they said. “But accessing that care means travelling abroad and paying privately for my surgery. So I’m doing something big to try to make it happen.”

Speaking to GCN, they added, “I think people sometimes underestimate just how exhausting gender dysphoria can be. It’s not always the big moments; it’s the hundreds of little things you navigate every single day that most people never have to think twice about…

“I know how much of a difference this surgery will make to my quality of life, my confidence and my overall wellbeing.”

They concluded by saying, “Ultimately, I don’t believe anyone should have to cycle thousands of kilometres across Europe, fundraise publicly or leave their own country just to access the healthcare they need. I’m not doing this because I believe I should have to earn the right to feel comfortable in my own body. I’m doing it because I believe nobody should have to.”

To support Lee’s fundraiser, click here, and to stay up to date with their cycle, check out their TikTok.