A 33-year-old man yesterday set off from Rotterdam on his first fund-raising event that will see him cycle through four countries and climb more than three times the height of Mount Everest.
Riding his 55-kilo bike, Simon Russell will be zipping through 3,240 kilometres for the next 26 days to raise funds for the Inspire Foundation Malta and Cancer Research UK.
In the first 10 days, Mr Russell will travel about 1,000 kilometres to Munich with his girlfriend, Veronika Peraus and will then set off solo over the Alps, down through Italy and to Malta, where he plans to arrive by ferry on May 29.
Although Mr Russell embarked on the journey because he loves adventure and exploring, he decided to raise funds for two charities in the process.
He chose Inspire because among the many it has helped was his own aunt and Cancer Research UK in memory of his girlfriend’s father, who loved cycling but never got the chance to make such a trip.
The marathon from Holland will take Mr Russell through Germany, Austria, Italy and Sicily before he arrives in Malta. There will be many potential hazards on the way, with the biggest being the Alps.
“Apart from the height I need to climb, it can still snow at this time of the year. The potential freezing temperature in the mountains will in the meantime be replaced by the risk of a heat stroke in the south of Italy, especially when climbing hills,” he said.
The trip includes busy cities such as Frankfurt, Munich and Rome.
“Injury is a constant threat, especially with a high average mileage per day and no support. I have attended a special first aid course to learn how to deal with injuries on my own.”
Although he has previously done voluntary work as part of a support team that helped disabled American and British soldiers on a cycle challenge in England, this is Mr Russell’s first fund-raising event.
Readers can follow his adventure with daily updates and a live tracker on www.facebook.com/simonrussell2015.
The public is welcome to make donations of €2.33 at 5061 7359, €4.66 at 5061 8080, €6.99 at 5061 8926 and €11.65 at 5061 9215.