A young Maltese adventurer will attempt to cycle across 10 European countries on his city bike in 30 days in aid of a school in Nepal that exchanges education for a few days of work.
Ian Cremona will leave from Nantes in France next month and cycle eastward across the continent towards Constanta in Bulgaria.
He will be guided along the 3,650km trip by six rivers, which will help him remain on track. Averaging 10 hours and 130km daily, he will drink some eight litres of water every day, riding a bicycle loaded with camping gear and the equipment he needs to blog about the journey.
He believes he will be the first Maltese on record to take up the challenge known as the Atlantic to Black Sea EuroVelo 6 route, taking in coasts, castles and rivers, including the Rhine, Loire and Danube.
Mr Cremona first cycled in aid of charity with the Life Cycle team in 2005, and he has also travelled by bike from Innsbruck to Malta (not for charity). But he has never attempted such a long trip on his own.
If the fundraiser ever gets close to giving up, his cause and benefactors’ support will keep him going.
The school sometimes needs financial support… and that’s why I’m cycling
The beneficiaries are students of the Maya Universe Academy. Mr Cremona was recently on an expedition to the Himalayas, where he summited two 6,100-metre high peaks as well climbing to the Everest Base Camp.
“After the climb, I spent a few days volunteering at a Nepalese school, which, instead of charging tuition fees, barters education for working hours,” he explained.
The route for his ride.The students’ families enter into a work-exchange agreement and work at the school for about two days every month per student.
“This ensures that the community becomes self-sustainable, however the school sometimes needs financial support… and that’s why I’m cycling across Europe,” he added.
The team behind the school is trying to raise $3,000 to refurbish the classrooms and install a rainwater harvesting system to secure drinking water. Safe transport to and from the school is a major barrier, so the academy is also trying to raise funds for a $10,000 school bus.
Mr Cremona 6,119 metres up on Lobuche peak in Nepal.Mr Cremona was inspired to cycle in aid of the school during his volunteering experience at the academy, where he met a fellow Maltese who shares his surname – Hannah Cremona – part of the academy’s team.
Those who donate to the cause will be able to follow him throughout the trip. He will charge his laptop and other equipment through solar energy and a dynamo, which converts the mechanical rotation of the wheels into electric power.
Mr Cremona will update the Facebook page Cycling from the Atlantic to Black Sea in Aid of Maya Universe Academy, giving his whereabouts as he cycles on. Information about the school can be found on www.mayauniverseacademy.org. Readers can make donations on https://gogetfunding.com/cycling-the-atlantic-to-the-black-sea-for-maya-universe-academy/ .