Kent teacher on round-the-world cycle for Great Ormond Street

Desert rides, audiobooks and a stick called Pedro have all been part of a Kent history teacher’s journey as he aims to cycle around the world for charity.

Jacob Zintel-Warner is approaching the one-year mark of his ride, having set off east from the UK and passing through countries including Bulgaria, Kazakhstan and Malaysia.

He is raising money for Great Ormond Street Hospital (Gosh) in London, which sees around 76,000 children each year.

The 31-year-old from Folkestone said he was inspired by children he had taught who had been treated at Gosh, and their amazing outlooks and positivity.

Currently in Norseman, Western Australia, he aims to cycle across the country before flying to Vancouver, crossing Canada, where he was born, and arriving back in London in August.

His best moment so far, he said, was crossing Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on his first desert rides of the journey, loaded up with 13 litres of water and audiobooks to distract him.

“It was about 800 miles (1,200km) of pretty barren riding,” he said.

“To get to the end of that, it just showed me what I’m actually capable of.

“All those doubts I had before the trip just faded away a lot after that.”

He also encountered some of the kindest people he’d ever met in Central Asia, he said, who stopped to give him food, water and invited him into their homes.

“I think I processed a lot in my own mind just in that time, because there’s nothing else to do,” he added.

“You’re just stuck with yourself, basically.

“Until you get a really nice person who stops on the side of the road and gives you a load of food, or a massive watermelon.

“But you can’t carry it anywhere, so you’ve just got to eat it.”

There have been lows as well, including dealing with his fear of dogs when crossing Turkey where he came across large guard dogs including Anatolian Shepherds protecting flocks of sheep.

Mr Zintel-Warner carried a large stick with him which he waved at the dogs and sent them running away.

He carried the stick with him all the way to Malaysia “just as a companion”, not having to use it again after Turkey.

He finally said goodbye to the stick, which he called Pedro, and planted it in the ground.

“I actually felt really sad saying goodbye to it,” he added, also saying his fear of dogs dissipated along the route.

He estimates he has so far ridden 11,500 miles (18,500km) and after Canada plans to fly to Dublin, cross over to Wales and cycle along the canals back to Gosh.

“With cycling you can never have a set schedule, because weather can go against you, and sometimes you just don’t feel like doing more miles and stuff,” he added.

Brockhill Park Performing Arts College near Hythe, where he taught before setting out, has been following his journey on the YouTube videos he posts charting his progress.

Charles Joseph, the college principal, said they were so proud to support his “epic solo cycling journey”.

He added: “Jacob’s journey is inspirational to us all at Brockhill.”

Marina Barnes, head of community fundraising at Gosh Charity, said all money raised would help fund vital services and ground-breaking research.

“We’re wishing Jacob the best of luck as he continues his incredible 18,000-mile journey,” she added.