WHO says teachers have it easy over the summer?

For those who don't work in education the thought of having six weeks off when the sun is shining sounds bliss, but for Sam Boatwright, a business studies teacher at St Bede's and St Joseph's Catholic College in Bradford, this summer will mark one of most challenging milestones in his life as he embarks on his latest Epic Adventure.

On July 22, the day after his school closes for the long summer break, Sam will fly out to New York where on July 24 he will set off from Times Square on his mammoth fundraiser which, he hopes, will also break a world record.

For five weeks Sam will run and cycle from New York to California - a challenge he believes has never been undertaken before.

"I am going from New York to California running and cycling," explains Sam who hopes to raise as much money as possible for the charity Help for Heroes.

He admits he is nervous but keen to embark on the challenge which takes him from New York to Philadelphia and into Washington.

From Washington, Sam heads North to Chicago and across the famous Route 66 into California where he will face the greatest test to his physical fitness - coping with 45 degrees heat in Arizona which, he fears, could be sufficient to melt his bike tyres. He also faces a 6km climb crossing the continental divide.

Sam is eager to get going: "I could go tomorrow I would go tomorrow," he says.

Physically he is more than prepared to take on such a gruelling challenge having undertaken and attempted previous Epic Adventures.

"I started off in the Forces at 16 and from there I have always stayed fairly fit playing rugby and things like that," explains Sam.

In 2012 one of the lads Sam served with in the Navy lost both his legs while in Afghanistan. "He was trying to raise money for an adapted wheelchair - I thought I would try and help him," says Sam.

His first mammoth fundraiser was running 2,500 miles over 50 days around the UK coastline. "I came up with the idea in the late summer of 2011."

He began his training in earnest, averaging 120 miles a week, or thereabouts, fitting his running around work but his preparation stood him in good stead for the challenge which enabled him to raise sufficient to buy not one but two wheelchairs costing around £8,000 each.

But Sam admits it wasn't easy and it was certainly physically tough on his body. One extreme moment was pulling out eight of his toenails with pliers to avoid further damaging his feet. Painkillers allowed him to continue and complete the challenge.

"Once I had been running a while they ached and went numb but the first few days it was horrible," says Sam, recalling the aftermath.

Of course there were highlights though, such as seeing remote parts of the UK he had never seen before as well as other stunning sights.

"Scotland was amazing; Wales was amazing. It was fantastic to do and every day knowing you are raising money for veterans or servicemen and women," says Sam.

Despite the physical demands, the epic fundraiser was undeterred and eager to take on another challenge.

In June 2015 he attempted a world record attempt for cycling non-stop from John O' Groats to Lands End.

His ambition was to break the record for the fastest 'end to end' in either direction by bicycle - without stopping.

Unfortunately though his hopes of breaking the record were crushed when he passed out on his bike during the challenge which he managed to complete, raising £3,000 for Help for Heroes in the process.

Now Sam is preparing for his latest fundraiser - his American adventure - which he will finish on Santa Monica Pier, Los Angeles on August 24.

Five days after completing his Epic Adventure, Sam will marry his girlfriend, Kerry Germany, who he met in the gym 18 months ago, in Las Vegas.

Kerry already has her attire for the occasion but Sam hasn't sorted his outfit as he isn't sure what size to buy.

"I weigh 95 kilos at the moment and will probably weigh 70 on the other side. I couldn't get a suit because my body will just change so much. I'm going to be cycling 10 to 12 hours a day and running 10 to 12 hours a day - I couldn't eat enough to get that amount of calories in," says Sam, who estimates he will be burning around 10,000 calories a day.

Undertaking such a mammoth challenge, Sam hopes to top his £10,000 target for Help for Heroes.

He has already set up a fundraising page on the social media site, Facebook, ahead of his adventure.

Physically, he is more than prepared for the challenge. Sam participated in the Bradford Run; completed the Leeds half marathon and also undertook a 12 hour spinathon on his bike.

"It is 50 miles running and 150 miles on a bike," explains Sam, referring to his Epic Adventure.

While concentrating on completing his challenge, Sam hopes to take in some sights too. During the stage from New York to Philadelphia he hopes to run on the legendary steps where Rocky was filmed.

And he and Kerry are looking forward to the celebratory culmination to his epic challenge - their wedding.

"It is going to be amazing," says Sam.

On his website, samboatwright.com, he talks of wanting to raise awareness for Help for Heroes but also inspiring his students.

"I am not an athlete, I am a teacher. I teach at St Bedes in Bradford and I love my job, but every now and I again I like to push my body to limits of what it will take. Not only do I do this to raise awareness for Help for Heroes but I do it to show my students that anything is possible," writes Sam.

For more information, or to support Sam, visit samboatwright.com