Cycling around the world with easyGym

Hello, my name is Martin Walker, and on the 18th February I will be cycling 18,000 miles around the world with the aim of beating the world record for the fastest circumnavigation by bicycle, and raising money for Cancer Research UK.

Why am I cycling around the world?

The idea was born out of a desire to do something special in this upcoming Olympic year and to inspire my daughter. Like most of you I will never have the ability to actually compete in these Olympic Games, but I wanted to show my daughter that if you set your mind to something you can achieve some pretty big things.

When I think of my journey I feel very fortunate to be able to do this when others that are not so fortunate cannot. That’s why I will be raising money for Cancer Research UK. It is something that affects all of us, whether directly through family members or indirectly through friends. My journey is 18,000 miles and it’s a pretty long way to cycle on a bicycle, but it pales in comparison to the journey others make daily in dealing with cancer. I will never be a doctor, nurse or research scientist, but by raising funds for these people I can use my skills in helping contribute combating this disease.

Sponsorship from easyGym

I have been very fortunate that easyGym will kindly sponsor me on this journey and I’ve been given this amazing platform to raise awareness for this charity. So, over the coming months I hope to take you with me on this journey, writing about my experiences, trials and tribulations.

We are all on our separate journeys whether it’s just getting a little fitter, bigger, losing a couple of pounds or just wanting to lead a healthier lifestyle. I hope that my story both entertains and inspires you to show that if you take small steps then anyone (even me) can achieve great things.

Before I head off on my journey I’ll be at easyGym in Slough on Wednesdays for spin classes, feel free to join me I’ll also be involved with other fundraising events in the run up to the big day, look out for more information on the easyGym Facebook and Twitter accounts.

So to get started I thought I would throw some facts your way

1. My target is 18,000 miles in 80 days which is 225 miles a day. Think London to Liverpool, Washington DC to New York or even Alice Springs to…well somewhere in the middle of the outback…

2. I will burn approximately 12-14,000 calories a day. That’s equivalent to around 25 bigs macs a day!

3. 16 hours…is probably the amount of time I will need to spend cycling each day

4. Over 4,114,285 wheel revolutions to complete 18,000 miles.

Feel free to come over to my Facebook page www.fb.com/cyclearoundin80days or follow me on twitter @cycle_around.

You can donate at www.justgiving.com/cyclearound or even simpler text “race80 £3” to 70070 with text giving which goes directly to Cancer Research UK.