The team will need to average over 100 miles of cycling per day, and will experience the hot and harsh weather America can throw at them. Over 100,000 ft of elevation will be covered and the team will be riding Vaaru GTA Evo titanium bikes, designed and built by James Beresford.
The ambitious project hopes to inspire young people to fulfil their potential and to fundraise for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity, a charity which supports 600 children a day with life-changing treatments and that Vaaru has supported for the last 5 years.
Throughout the challenge James Ketchell will connect with classrooms across the world, sharing stories of fun, adventure and educational content, as well as inspiring young people to pursue their own goals and dreams. The team will have an interactive live map enabling schools and followers to track progress in real time
As a teenager and young adult, James Ketchell struggled to achieve academically and had low self-esteem which impacted his confidence and personal life quite severely. Over the last 10 years, he has felt passionately about inspiring young people and offering opportunities to motivate them to help achieve their full potential. James Ketchell is the only person to have rowed across the Atlantic Ocean, climbed Mt Everest and cycled around the world, in what the media dubbed “The Ultimate Triathlon”. He has cycled across America twice. This will be his 3rd time. James is also the first person to fly a Gyrocopter around the world, and was awarded a Guinness World Record upon completion.
Peter Wilson, another Guiness World Record holder and accomplished helicopter pilot, has a proven record of completing gruelling challenges. It was on such an expedition having completed a 550km unsupported ski across Greenland that James and Peter decided to ride across America. As a Vaaru MPA owner Peter has been training on his titanium road bike over the last three years.
The Journey
States the team will pass through
• Leg 1 California
• Leg 2 Arizona
• Leg 3 New Mexico
• Leg 4 Texas
• Leg 5 Louisiana
• Leg 6 Alabama
• Leg 7 Mississippi
• Leg 8 Florida
Fundraising for Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity
The team have chosen Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity as the beneficiary for their Coast to Coast Cycle across the USA. Follow the 'Donate Now' link to donate through the team's Just Giving page.
