A university student is set to cycle from one side of the USA to the other in 38 days.
James Gray plans to ride 3,800 miles from Santa Monica Pier in California to Yorktown Beach in Virginia. The 20-year-old will use the physical challenge as a way of raising funds for The Oddballs Foundation.
He decided to fundraise for the charity after learning at Newcastle University how many men are impacted by testicular cancer. Along the route, James will meet up with people from the United States who have beaten the disease.
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The challenge was initially meant to take place over 40 days however that has now decreased to 38. James said he was unable to fly to Los Angeles at the weekend due to testing positive for covid-19.
He will now travel to the west coast of America on Saturday - the day he was meant to start the challenge. James will begin cycling on Monday, May 30 but plans to end on the same date - Thursday, July 7.
James, who is in his second year of a Geography and Business degree, said: "I feel good, these things happen in the current climate and so it's a bit more of a challenge. I was planning to do 170 miles in those two days so I will have to find them from somewhere!
"I am going to go off time as opposed to miles. I will do between seven to seven-and-a-half hours a day with the bike. I have had a look at the temperatures and that is my biggest fear - the heat. I'm confident that as long as I keep on top of my fluids I will be able to cope with it.
"I have done the UK coast to coast a few years a go but I have never done anything on this scale. My family and friends are all slightly nervous. I think once we get going people will be a bit more relaxed about it."
James, who is from Hamsterley, County Durham, said he has been spending his weekdays studying in Newcastle and his weekends training for the challenge in Weardale and Teesdale.
He said that since announcing his plans to complete the challenge for The Oddballs Foundation he has been contacted by people in the USA who would like to share their experience with him.
James, who lives in Jesmond, said: "We had a talk from one of the university ambassadors last year. It brought into prospective how serious testicular cancer is. It's the most prevalent cancer between the age of 15 and 49. I personally have never talked about it and it's something a lot of men don't really like to talk about. I wanted to break down the stigma and raise more awareness of it.
"I am in touch with a number of survivors, mainly in the states. A number of them sent us a message saying we'd like to met you and have a chat. It works out nicely that there's number of them along the route. I didn't really expect it. I think it will be really moving to hear their stories and their experience of having the cancer and I hope they will see what I am doing to raise awareness of it."
James will be accompanied along the route by his dad David, who will be driving an RV across the country. The 58-year-old has already flown out to Los Angeles with James' bike and will ensure everything is ready for him to start the challenge on Monday. James added: "I'm confident I will be able to do it. I'm looking forward to getting to the end."
Donations can be made towards James' fundraising challenge via his website bikingforballs.com. People can follow his journey on his Instagram page bikingforballs.
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