Four friends will be taking on an epic cycle journey from Chichester to Dortmund, Germany.

Pete, Calvin, Andy and Zoe will cycle the 450 mile distance in 7 days between May 6th and May 14th, coinciding with Mental Health Awareness Week and raising money for Solent Mind.

As co-founders of United Minds FC, Pete and Calvin have already raised over £2,500 hosting a charity football game back in October, and with this challenge look to keep expanding what the United Minds group does.

Pete, 31, has said: “We are going to be sharing live streams everyday about our challenges and emotions each day, just to show through mental health that it is okay to talk.”

Calvin, 30, added: “I’m doing it, yes to raise awareness, and partly for myself for the challenge of how I can deal with it. When my anxiety was at its worse, I couldn’t even take my boy down the park.

“So I want to show you can start from the bottom, build yourself back up and achieve challenges. So I’m looking forward to testing myself and getting the job done.”

Pete has already taken on this same challenge but explains how different it will be for him this time: “I cycled then to escape reality, now it is a very different occasion, and I’ve got a different role to play.

“To see how different it will be to do it with a mind takes stuff in and thinks about life a bit more, before it was very empty and very dark. I can say to people I’ve done it before, and gone to Germany, but I could never really say what happened during it or anything about it.”

As with the United Minds FC games, part of the aim for Pete and Calvin is to get people talking about mental health as they compete with teammates.

Zoe, who has earned the nickname ‘1 more mile’ from the group in reflection of her determination to keep going, is taking on her first challenge with the United Minds group with the cycle.

The 26 year old has said: “I knew Pete and Andy from years ago, but I don’t know anyone very well, so it has been really nice to get to know a new group of people because we are coming together for the same cause.

“I know it is going to be difficult for me mentally and physically, you guys are all going to see some real different sides to me, but I think it is really reassuring knowing how open minded everyone is and how we’ve connected through doing this challenge.”

Andy, 33, will also be taking on his first United Minds challenge and answered in a question in a way that was a perfect metaphor for mental health battles.

When asked what he wanted to achieve from this challenge, Andy simply responded: “Surviving.”

If you want to donate and support the United Minds team, head to their JustGiving page, or if you can’t donate share around and spread the word: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/unitedmindstodortmund

If you want to take on a challenge for Solent Mind, please get in touch with our friendly Fundraising Team: https://www.solentmind.org.uk/support-us/fundraising/challenge/