A Dorset man cycles from Alaska to Argentina to raise money for Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY).
James Benson-King, 30, known as Benson the Biking Viking, started the challenge on August 7 this year.
The challenge is 18,000 miles and James thinks it will take between eight and 12 months to complete. He rides from Deadhorse, the northernmost road in Alaska, to Ushuaia in Argentina.
He made good progress in the standalone challenge and recently reached Guerrero Negro in Mexico.
He’s taken on other challenges, like Lands End to John O’Groats in 11 days and the 205-mile Tour of Dorset in 17 hours, but that’s his biggest task yet.
James quit his job to take on this mammoth cycle, something he says is a “lifetime dream”, aimed at raising as much money as possible.
Both James and his father suffered from heart problems, with James having two operations aged 8 and 16, before being given the all clear. Since his second successful surgery, James has been looking for ways to raise money for the cause.
He first discovered CRY when a friend in college died of an undiagnosed heart condition. The charity aims to prevent sudden death by raising awareness, providing cardiac screenings and research and supporting affected families.
James has since raised over £3,500 for the charity through his fundraising efforts, and so far he has reached £1,483 in his transcontinental challenge.
He hopes to raise £2,500, which will cover a day’s heart screening for the charity. Its goal is to raise enough money to support as much screening as possible, to find and diagnose any hidden problems in the population.
James documents his journey across the Americas through a blog and vlog on YouTube. Footage of the challenge can be found on his Instagram and data from his rides on Strava.
To learn more about James’ challenge and to donate, visit https://gofund.me/c3c19be0
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