A Man from Oldbury is cycling to Australia for Movember and Refuge

Elliott Simcox has gone viral on social media for his daily vlogs of his adventure, amassing over 13,000 on TikTok.

The 31-year-old began his journey in July and has now cycled through 14 different countries over the course of more than 90 days.

He said: “I have always liked to mentally and physically challenge myself, whether it be through new jobs or new activities back home, so this one would be a huge test for me.

“Going into the unknown with no real plan apart from following a route appealed to me.

“So far, I’ve been caught out in thunderstorms in the Swiss mountains, nearly ran over by lorries, been attacked by stray dogs and have camped in wolf and bear territories.

“I’ve felt like I’ve seen it all, so far.”

@essimcox93 Day 70 - Cycling to Australia 🇦🇺 Rest day 🙌🏻 @Sam Bikepacking The World #wildcamping #bikepacking #camping #adventure #turkey🇹🇷 ♬ Paper Birds (3 min) - Jordan Halpern Schwartz

Elliott, who previously worked as a tree surgeon before embarking on his travels, is raising money for Movember and Refuge, two charities that he candidly shared hold personal importance to him.  

Movember is an organisation dedicated to supporting the men’s mental health crisis. Their work is vital all year round, with their main action month running annually throughout November, which this year began on Friday.

Refuge on the other hand is a charity that provides vital support for women and children who have been subject to domestic abuse.

Speaking about why he chose to support both organisations, Elliott said: “Domestic violence is personal to me and I have felt and witnessed how hard it is to overcome hurdles around this.

“So, I am passionate about spreading awareness and supporting women and children getting the help they need.

“I have also personally struggled with mental health in the past and know how hard it can be to overcome.

“I have seen friends and family suffer and I am passionate about spreading awareness about this too.

“I am hoping to raise £3000 for each charity!”

With everything from mountain ranges and entire oceans standing in his way, Elliott has faced many challenges along his journey.

Most recently, he became stuck at the border of Azerbaijan, which is still yet to reopen following the pandemic.

The other charity Elliott is supporting is Refuge (Image: Elliott Simcox) Due to safety concerns about alternative routes which involve ether cycling through Russia or Iran, Elliott made the difficult decision to catch a flight to a more accessible country, before continuing to Australia via an alternative route than he originally planed.

However, he has not let this hiccup hold him back, saying: “I was sad, because I said I was going to cycle all the way to Australia, apart from obviously the one flight into Aus, but I need to think about my safety and that I want to make this an enjoyable experience.

“Plus, people online and my friends and family are supporting me, and they have kept me motivated.

“The support has been amazing, from friends and family and strangers on social media.

“It’s nice to have people behind me and enjoy something I’m doing for myself and for my charities.

“It’s amazing to take so many people along with me the whole way.”

Providing everything else runs smoothly, Elliott plans to arrive in the land down under around March next year.

He plans to celebrate the completion of his challenge by hitting the road with his surfboard, travelling along the east coast of the country.

Turning the focus back to the here and now, Elliott hopes his journey is having a positive impact on his hundreds of thousands of viewers online.

He said: “To everyone who has already seen and support my journey, it means the world to me.

“If anyone has ever been through domestic violence or suffered with their mental health, it may feel like you’re alone but you’re not.

“There are so many people that want to help and support you.

“If we all come together and support one another, we can make a difference by spreading awareness and getting the right funding.”

When asked about Elliott's incredible challenge, a spokesperson from Refuge said: "Every two minutes, someone turns to Refuge for help. 

"We are incredibly grateful to Elliott Simcox for choosing to fundraise in such an extraordinary way, and we wish him the best of luck on his incredible cross-continental adventure. 

"Thank you Elliott for choosing to stand with us and support our critical fight against VAWG and domestic abuse.”

The Movember organisation are also encouraging as many people across the world as possible to embark on challenges of their own, no matter how big or small, as they celebrate 21 years of campaigning for various areas of men's mental and physical health.