Ballymena man embarks on 450-mile solo bike ride following the trail of the Duke of Wellington in aid of Armed Forces charity SSAFA

This is a solo journey which will take him from Madrid to Bayonne in Southern France, this represents roughly the route that the Duke of Wellington’s allied armies followed in the latter part of the Peninsular Campaign during the Napoleonic War.

In honour of the Iron Duke himself George has named his forthcoming challenge as The Wellington Trail and at a launch event on Saturday the Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Noel Williams officially named George’s trusty bicycle the very apt ‘Battle Cruiser’.

The Wellington Trail is around 450-miles which was travelled by the Duke of Wellington on horseback, but which George will tackle on his bike.

He has prepared for by putting himself through two ‘boot’ camps over the summer.

Now ready for the hard journey ahead, totally unsupported, George will take in the Sierra Guadarrama with an elevation of 2,130 feet before a pass at 6,150 feet – this is around a mile upwards.

George has an extensive military past and present. He was commissioned into the Corps of Royal Engineers in the Regulars where he served for five years before a further 24 in the Territorials. He is now Chair of the Reserve Forces and Cadets Association Northern Ireland (RFCA NI).

At the weekend George was wished a bon voyage by Lord Lieutenant of Belfast Dame Fionnuala Jay O’Boyle at an event at Belfast Rowing Club.

George said: “I am very grateful Belfast Rowing Club for supporting my fundraising activities. This is a very special day and I am honoured that Dame Fionnuala Jay O’Boyle, DBE, Lord Lieutenant for the City and County of Belfast has come along to visit the club and join the members in wishing me a successful journey in my cycle challenge.

"When deciding on a charity, I wanted a well-known, established charity which does more work than dealing with mental illness, giving the support veterans, serving personnel, and their families’ need, where they need it and how they need it.

“Very importantly, I wanted to raise money for a charity which operates distinctly in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, and GB to reflect the wide ranging units which recruited from the island of Ireland during the Napoleonic War. SSAFA fitted the bill perfectly.

At the event Belfast Rowing Club’s Captain Thomas McCaughtry said: “Belfast Rowing Club is very proud to host the start of George’s epic cycle rid and delighted to welcome the Lord Lieutenant to our boathouse. Everyone at the club wishes George all the very best for a safe and enjoyable journey and that he can raise as much as possible for this very worthy cause.”

George’s epic bicycling expedition began in Madrid on Sunday.

If you would like to contribute please visit George’s fundraising page at justgiving.com/fundraising/wellington-trail

For more information on SSAFA, visit ssafa.org.uk and for information on Belfast Rowing Club, visit belfastrowingclub.com