My Reasons for attempting this

In November 2004, I was on holiday in Adelaide, Australia. I was there to act as best man for a very close friend, Joe.

A few days after the wedding, with the bride and groom off on their honeymoon, and whilst I was idling around Joe's father-in-law's house (he was putting me up) and waiting for my flight home in a day or two, I received a text message from another friend telling me that Budgie had died suddenly.

Budgie, or Anthony Child, to give him his proper name, was 33 years old. He had died from a heart condition- suspected ARVC, or Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy. Although he had had trouble with his heart on one previous occasion several years previously, he had been healthy ever since then, and as far as most of us were concerned, was perfectly fit and healthy. One moment he was there, the next minute he had gone. His death was shocking to his many friends and acquaintances, and devasting to his girlfriend and family. As for me, I went out into the garden and sat with a beer, feeling decidely sorry for myself, and although there were people around me, I felt very much alone. It's at times like these when you realise how important your friends are to you.

On my arrival back in the UK, I was glad I had received the text message-although it had been horrible at the time, to have arrived back home on a high, only to receive such bad news would have made the situation a hundred times worse.

As the first anniversary of Budgie's death approached, I was told that there was going to be a charity fundraiser in his memory, a bit of a knees-up in a nearby village hall organised by Angie, Jack and Steph-his mum, dad and sister. This was my first introduction to the charity this whole journey is in aid of- Cardiac Risk in the Young.

During the evening, Jack made a speech to all of us who were there, explaining the support they had received from the charity during the difficult period following his death, and it was at that moment that I decided that I wanted to do something myself- both to raise money and awareness for the charity, and to do something in memory of Budgie.

A little about Budgie...

Budgie wasn't always known as Budgie. Having both grown up in a fairly small village in the exciting wilds of sunny North Bedfordshire, we'd known each other since we started at primary school. Back then he was known by his proper name, Anthony, which later became shortened to Ant by most folk that knew him.

The 'Budgie' moniker was my elder brother and his mate Darren's fault. One day, when we were in our teens and were generally loafing about the place when one or the other of them said,

'Doesn't Ant look like a budgie?'

That there was little, if any, substance to this statement is immaterial. The name stuck. For a while, at least. It was used on a daily basis for a couple of months, then as quickly as it had come into existence, it disappeared again.

However, you can't keep a good nickname down, and at some point people started using it again, and this time, much to the eternal annoyance of his mum, it stayed for good.

Several years after we left school, Budgie first moved to a town up the road, then eventually he went to Ireland with his girlfriend. Even though I only saw him every year or so, whenever we met up, it was just like two mates meeting in a pub that saw each other on a regular basis- easy going and a laugh. Many friends come and go, but over the years there are always a few that you know, no matter how far away they may be, will always be there for you, one way or another. I've been fortunate enough in my life to have a number of friends like that, and Budgie was one of them.

I'm fairly sure that he would have seen the humour in a sixteen stone, shaven-headed and bearded bloke attempting a 3500-mile journey on an 89cc stepthrough...