A MAN from Shipley has started fundraising ahead of a marathon cycling challenge he is taking part in in two years’ time.

Antony Butcher, 28, will cycle coast-to-coast from New York to San Francisco to raise money for a number of charities.

Mr Butcher, of Taunton Street, has already raised more than £15,000 in the past, and is aiming to raise another £20,000 over the next two years ahead of his challenge in 2020.

Along the way on his challenge, Mr Butcher, who works as an education service officer at the University of Leeds, will be aiming to speak to as many people as possible about the importance of mental health, visiting schools, colleges and community groups.

His route is roughly 3,500 miles long and will take him two months to complete, leaving his wife, Lizzie, two cats and home for endless motels and solitary hours in the saddle.

To boost his efforts, Mr Butcher is organising a range of fundraising activities, and will also be running the London Marathon next year.

The money he raises will be split between the MS Society and a number of mental health charities including Shipley’s Cellar Trust, two causes close to his heart.

He said: “My mum was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis whilst I was at school, and since then the condition has taken its toll on her.

“I’ve seen first-hand the painful impact that MS has, and whilst this bike ride isn’t going to magically make my mum better it will hopefully be a small step towards better support, and maybe even a cure.”

He also runs a mental health blog, sharing his and other people’s stories of their battles, which he said has been an “eye-opening experience”.

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Mr Butcher has taken part in endurance events before, cycling from Land’s End to John O’Groat’s twice in 2007 and 2014, although he hasn’t spent more than an hour at a time in the saddle since the second effort.

To support Mr Butcher on his challenge, visit antonyjcbutcher.com to donate, or follow his progress on Twitter by following @antonybutcher.

As well as help with fundraising, Mr Butcher is also appealing for help setting up the logistics of his challenge.

When he isn’t punishing his body training for and taking part in extreme endurance events, Mr Butcher is a trustee of the Kirkgate Centre in Shipley, and also co-ordinates comedy

troupe The Fanny Pack, which performs monthly shows at Fanny’s Ale House.

In 2017, he raised £1,000 by taking part in a sponsored head-shave in aid of the Cellar Trust.