Dubai: A UAE resident who set off from Dubai in April on an 11,000km trip through 12 countries to raise funds for a charity organisation is currently in Turkey, having left Iran.
Briton Mike Callis, who began his adventure in April, will cycle for roughly four months to reach the UK at the end of it all to raise funds for Medicines Sans Frontieres, the humanitarian-aid non-government organization best known for its work in war-torn regions suffering endemic diseases.
“I have no real amount in mind. The more the better. If I raise £5,000 (Dh30,940) I’d be extremely happy. That’s enough to buy measles vaccinations for almost 56,000 children,” said the 27-year-old from Yorkshire in an email interview from Turkey.
August ending
Callis plans to round off his road trip in England by August and has set a daily target of cycling 96km. However, there are days he cannot do the average distance. “For example, the road from Yazd to Esfahan in Iran is 322km. It’s pretty boring, so I did it in two days to maximise my time in Esfahan,” said the man who previously worked as a recruitment consultant in DIFC after moving to Dubai in 2011.
“I didn’t read survival books or anything, I just tried to get used to the feeling of living under duress by sleeping on the floor and eating combinations of canned food. I also practiced living with less food, water and sleep,” said Callis.
“Cycling in the middle of the day is hard, but early and before sunset is OK. Water is the key challenge. Carrying enough to feel safe has an adverse weight impact, so it’s a balance I’m constantly working on,” added the Masters degree holder in human rights studies.
Callis will cross over to mainland Europe within days. “I look forward to tomorrow each night I go to bed. Istanbul is said to be a remarkable city. I’m also going to do some Alps in Switzerland and try to ride a stage of the Tour de France. I think crossing into England will be a big deal to me as well,” he said.
“I believe we perceive more of the world around us when not contained in a metal box, like a car or a plane.”
Follow Mike’s adventure at: www.justgiving.com/mikeridemsf
