Newly retired, two men from Tameside have decided to use their spare time to travel to Greece, however not by aeroplane.

Andy Hall and Chris Rushworth have set themselves the ultimate challenge, to journey to Athens via bicycle. Starting off in Gee Cross, the pair will pass through various destinations before finally arriving in the Greek capital in August.

Celebrating retirement, the trip was planned as an ‘epic long distance bicycle ride’ to mark the milestone. Both having a strong love for Greece, they decided it would be the perfect destination to aim for.

“I initially thought about riding to Istanbul, where Europe ends and Asia begins, as this is quite a popular route with long distance cyclists.

“Then Chris got involved and we decided to change the destination. We chose the routes that follow the Rhine and then the Danube, simply because they are the flattest, although we have had some big hills already,” Andy said.

The pair have already completed their first 1000 miles, arriving in Germany. After leaving Tameside, they travelled two days to Hull before arriving in Holland. Their journey took them through the Netherlands and into Germany, specifically the Black Forest.

The journey to Athens is over 3000 miles away, taking around 9 weeks to complete. They will pass through 13 countries along the way, making for a bucket list travel itinerary.

Completing this challenge, the pair will also be raising money for Tameside, Oldham, and Glossop MIND.

Chris’ wife works within MIND, helping children who struggle to cope with their mental health. Noticing the importance of this work, they decided it would be the ideal cause to fundraise for.

Andy also felt extremely motivated to raise money after hearing that one of his colleagues had sadly lost their 14-year-old niece to suicide earlier this year.

So, with an incredible cause behind them, Andy and Chris are continuing to cycle as much as they can, whilst raising vital funds.

“With bikes and luggage weighing 40kg each, it’s been tough so far, the heat also hasn’t helped.

“We’ve probably done a 3rd of the journey so far now, our next checkpoint will be in Bratislava where our wives are coming out to see us.

“After this point, we will head through Slovenia to the Adriatic coast, and then follow this down through Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Albania and Greece,” he said.

Andy and Chris have already accomplished so much on their journey, and as they except to arrive in Athens in August, they should do so with a smile upon their faces.

You can support their JustGiving page here.

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