The journey from Lands End to John ?O Groats is about 900 miles.

Now imagine being on a pedal bike and cycling from Cornwall all the way to Scotland in six days.

This is exactly what Dr. John Madiro did as he set out to raise funds for the charity Aid4Africa. The Zimbabwean and three Bermudians, Marsha Emery, her daughter Erica and eight-year-old granddaughter Jada set out in July and criss-crossed their way across the UK countryside in Ride4Africa.

Mr. Madiro thought that he could take the motorway, but soon discovered that he could not. ?I thought that I could just dash through the motorway, but we were intercepted by the highway patrol and taken back,? he stated. ?The tough thing was that we completed a longer journey than the 900 miles because the smaller roads criss-cross the motorways.

?The weather was a bit favourable although some days it would rain, but if you are riding 150 miles, in the 60th mile, you would find that the weather changes as you move from town to town. But it was amazing to see the architecture.?

The Highlands of Scotland were the toughest, he admitted. ?From the Seven Borders and all the way through to John ?O Groats is mountains and I really envy those people who do that journey because it is a tough one. When you are doing the hills you cannot dismount ? it is like riding on a tiger as if you dismount the tiger will eat you. But I had the support from Marsha and Erica and Jada was cheering me, taking photos and giving me all the encouragement because the hills in Scotland can go up to three or four miles.?

To prepare for the expedition he would wake up at approximately four or five in the morning and he would jog his normal 14 miles before going to work and then after work he would go to the gym or cycle. ?I really kept myself quite fit,? he said.

?One thing that I had to take care of was hydration and to make sure that I had sufficient electrolytes because if you suffer electrolyte shock ... you could have heart failure. ?It is a scientific approach ? you don?t just get on and ride. I ate bananas, which are rich in electrolytes and irons like zinc and potassium. So I didn?t suffer any cramps or anything related.?

When they started the charity the main focus was on the African AIDS orphans because around the world there are about 12 million and increasing. Because the corruption in many African governments, they want to take a hands-on approach to distributing the funds. ?We would like to liaise with government agencies to identify the needs and if they need a school, we can build a school and maybe the government can provide teachers and the same with clinics and wells.

?We are focusing on health, education and shelter, which are key aspects. Some orphans are sheltered by relatives, but there is a new phenomenon called baby dumping because their relatives do not have means to support them. It is rampant in Zimbabwe and it is catching on in other poor African countries and most of the orphans are AIDS orphans.?

The former Warwick Academy teacher added that they ?could do pilot projects for Africa, which other organisations that could follow?.

?I know there are other organisations that are trying to do the same, but our Aid4Africa is different in that contributions go to the charity ? no one is on salary,? he explained. ?We are currently looking at Uganda, Ghana, Ethiopia and then we will branch off from that. ?The problem is big and we are just a small charity, but that can make a difference.?

Asked whether there were moments on his journey when he thought ?do the orphans really need me??, Dr. Madiro said: ?In the beginning a gentleman said to me, ?you have to make up your mind because where you are going is very far ? it is 900 miles (1,440 km)?. But I said, ?I am fortunate to be able to do this?.

?The entire ride was really tough in that we would wake up as early as 5 a.m. and sometimes 4 a.m. in order to stretch the ride, because my daily target was 150 miles. But what was driving me was the poverty and the problems that exist out there and it gave me the propulsion.?

For his next fundraising venture he plans to cross the Atlantic Ocean in a hot-air balloon. For more information or to assist in the cause visit www.Aid4Africa.org.