American Studies student to take the long way home for charity

A student will join one of his oldest friends on a daunting 60-mile-a-day cycling trip from Austria to England in a mere 24 days.

Aidan Boyd-Thorpe is due to graduate from the Centre for American Studies this year so he and his childhood friend Alex Nicolai, currently studying at Bristol University, have decided to mark their graduation with an 1,119-mile cycle trip taking in Austria, Germany, Belgium, France and ending in in his home town of Henley-On-Thames.

As well as embracing the challenge, they also want their efforts to help people so have decided to raise money for Sue Ryder hospices.

Although they both enjoy cycling although neither of them has undertaken a trip like this before. Aidan says he is ‘extremely nervous’ about the trip.

He said: “It's a long distance, and although we are both quite fit - I've been a regular member of the University of Leicester Mountaineering Society this year - endurance is going to be a challenge. The wild camping will also be quite scary. I'm really excited though and I think whatever happens it's going to be a huge adventure. Any new experience is a good experience!

“There is a Sue Ryder hospice near my home town in Nettlebed and they were a huge help to my aunt and her family during her years of fighting with cancer. They made her life far more comfortable and we were hugely grateful for that. So it was a very personal decision and one which Alex fully supported.

“I hope people get inspired to raise money for any charity, big or small, by doing whatever they can. We live in one of the richest nations in the world and I think it's right to give what we can to anyone who is less fortunate or has found themselves in a difficult position in life.”

You can support Aidan and Alex by visiting their JustGiving page.