18,000 Miles, 16 Months and One Very Big Reason: Ciaran and Lucy Set Off Around the World for Sport Parkinson’s

On Saturday 8th August, Ciaran Booth and Lucy Pickersgill set off from Manchester on an extraordinary 16-month adventure that will see them cycle around the world, covering around 18,000 miles and raising £50,000 for Sport Parkinson’s.

This isn’t simply a cycling challenge. It is a story about family, adventure, pushing beyond your comfort zone and turning something incredibly personal into an opportunity to make a difference to thousands of people living with Parkinson’s. And after months of planning, preparation, sponsorship, route mapping and more than a few difficult packing decisions, the adventure has finally begun.

From Manchester to the world

For Ciaran, the idea of cycling around the world isn’t a recent one. Around ten years ago, he read about someone who had completed the journey and immediately thought:

At the time, Ciaran was pursuing a career in professional rugby. A Manchester native, he came through the Sale Sharks academy before going on to represent Ireland at Under-20 level and play professionally for Connacht. He also played for Jersey and later moved to Australia, where he played for Eastern Suburbs in Sydney. Rugby had been a huge part of his life since his teenage years. But as his professional career began to change direction, the idea he’d carried with him for years started to become possible.

Ciaran found himself facing a choice: stay in Australia, where he’d built a life he loved, or take the leap and finally chase the adventure he’d been thinking about for a decade.

He chose the adventure, he knew that if he didn’t do it now, he might always regret not trying. And so the planning began.

Lucy: from 60km to 18,000 miles

Perhaps one of the most remarkable parts of this story is Lucy’s starting point. Unlike Ciaran, who has spent years competing at an elite level of sport, Lucy had never cycled more than around 60km before beginning preparations for the challenge. Now she’s setting off to cycle around the world.

Together, the pair will attempt to average more than 100km a day across an expedition lasting around 16 months. They’ll be carrying their equipment, camping along the way and dealing with everything the road, weather, borders, terrain and countries throw at them. This isn’t a holiday on two wheels.

There will be days when they are tired. Days when the weather is brutal. Days when the route doesn’t go to plan. Days when putting one foot in front of the other, or one pedal after another, will be the hardest thing they have to do. But that’s precisely the point.

Ciaran has spoken about how one of the biggest lessons rugby has taught him is that doing hard things is good for you. This journey is going to test that belief every single day. But there’s a much bigger reason for doing it

Whilst on their adventure, they will also be raising money and awareness for us at Sport Parkinson's. For Ciaran, the cause is deeply personal. His mum Annie, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s around 11 years ago, following the death of following the death of his grandfather, who had also lived with the condition.

Seeing Parkinson’s affect his family has given Ciaran a very personal understanding of the condition and of the importance of movement, sport, community and staying active.

That’s where we at Sport Parkinson’s comes in.

Sport Parkinson’s exists to help people living with Parkinson’s stay active, connected and involved in sport and physical activity. Our work spans activities including walking football, golf, cycling, fitness and community events, creating opportunities for people to keep moving while building friendships and confidence. 

For Ciaran, there was a natural connection between the challenge he was about to undertake and the charity he wanted to support.

He would cycle around the world, while helping Sport Parkinson’s move the Parkinson’s community forward. The target is an incredible £50,000, we will be cheering them on along the way and want to keep our community updated on their travels. And every mile of their journey will help raise awareness of Parkinson’s alongside much-needed funds.

A journey across the globe

Their planned route is every bit as ambitious as the challenge itself. From Manchester, they’ll head across the UK and into mainland Europe, crossing the Alps before continuing towards Cyprus and Istanbul. From there, their route will take them through India and Nepal, across Southeast Asia and towards Bali.

They’ll then fly to Australia, cycle from Perth to Sydney, head across New Zealand, before travelling onwards to Canada and cycling across Canada and the United States.

Just reading that makes your legs hurt. And the logistics involved in making it possible have been enormous. Visas. Insurance. Route planning. Weather. Equipment. Flights. Accommodation. Food. Bikes. Sponsorship.

Ciaran has described the preparation as one of the hardest parts of the entire adventure.

Now, however, the planning is finished. The bikes are ready. The bags are packed. And last Saturday, they finally started riding.

Making the adventure possible

An expedition of this scale doesn’t happen without support. Ciaran and Lucy have worked hard to bring sponsors and partners on board, including support for their bikes and cycling kit. That support isn’t simply about providing equipment. It allows them to concentrate on the challenge itself and, importantly, maximise what they can raise for Sport Parkinson’s.

Having developed his own skills in videography and content creation, he plans to capture the reality of life on the road; the highs, the lows, the landscapes, the people, the food, the exhaustion and everything in between. n This won’t be a polished travel brochure. It will be the real story of two people attempting something extraordinary.

Follow the journey

If you want to see what happens when two people leave behind normal life, pack their bikes and attempt to cycle around the world, now is the perfect time to start following.

Ciaran shares the journey through his Ciaran Does Things channels, with longer-form content planned for YouTube and regular updates on Instagram.

📱 Instagram: Ciaran:  @ciarandoesthings

📱 Instagram: Lucy: @lucypickersgill

▶️ YouTube: Ciaran Does Things

Website: couplevstheworld

How you can support Ciaran, Lucy and Sport Parkinson’s

You don’t have to cycle 18,000 miles to make a difference.  You can simply follow their journey, share their story, encourage them along the way, or make a donation.

Their fundraising target is £50,000, and every donation will help Sport Parkinson’s continue creating opportunities for people living with Parkinson’s to stay active, connected and inspired.

Donate Here