University of Queensland student Nicholas McCarthy is back in Brisbane after completing a gruelling 5000 kilometre bicycle ride across Canada and the USA.
Battling cold nights sleeping beside highways, cycling through tornado warning zones and encountering unexpected snow, Nicholas and fellow bike enthusiast Marcus Farnfield raised money for the Haileybury Youth Trust in Uganda.
A film of their journey from Vancouver, Canada, to Washington DC can now be viewed here.
The ride involved crossing two mountain ranges before taking on the great plains of Montana and then heading south towards Chicago.
Despite training for the expedition, Nicholas said nothing could have prepared them for what lay ahead.
“While we didn’t really know how it was going to unfold, we never expected to get so completely worn out by the elements,” he said.
“It really was amazing highs and crushing lows.”
The young men spent a grand total of $10 on accommodation during their trip, couch surfing and gathering free meals from people who heard about their quest..
“We would ride into a town not knowing where we were sleeping that night and someone would offer us a place to stay from their front porch,” he said.
“The generosity of people we met along the way really kept us going and reinforced why we wanted to raise money for the Haileybury Youth Trust.
“Marcus's family has been involved with Uganda since his brother spent a year teaching at a school there in 2004.
“With people on the ground in Uganda, the Trust is making a difference to people's lives through the use of a very simple, green brick building technology.
“They work not only to encourage the use of green building materials but also to help give skills and, as a result, the possibility of employment to many of the country's poorest,’ he said.
Nicholas and Marcus met their fund-raising target of a pound for every kilometer covered, and are still encouraging donations here.
You can re-live Nicholas and Marcus's journey on their BC to DC blog.
Media: Nicholas McCarthy, 0457475503, Nicholas.mccarthy@uqconnect.edu.au; or UQ Communications and Marketing Officer Kate Bishop, 07 3346 7887, k.bishop3@uq.edu.au.
