Skateboarder riding from Brighton to Africa for charity

A man is attempting to travel from Brighton to Africa – on a skateboard.

Sam Allison, 21, told the BBC he plans to skate to Tangier, Morocco, to raise money for the Ben Raemers Foundation, a charity supporting wellbeing in the skateboarding community.

“There’s always been a bit of stigma of [skaters] being gnarly, drinking, smoking, and going crazy, but it’s important to take care of our mental health too,” he said.

Mr Allison, who said skating had helped him through his own ups and downs in life, expects the journey to take 55 days, though that was with a “bit of breathing room” for rest and unexpected events.

“I’ve skated since I was a kid,” he told the BBC. “I just love it. It’s fun pushing down the road. I find it very peaceful and enjoyable.”

“I am looking forward to it, but obviously I am nervous,” he added.

Mr Allison, due to set off on Wednesday, said the main challenge would be on his body, detailing that skating such a distance will hurt his feet, ankles and knees.

“Apart from that, I don’t think [I’ll have any problems],” he said.

“I know how kind people are. I’ll be safe.”

Planning to camp along the way, he will take a route from Brighton to Newhaven, where he will get the ferry to France, then travel south to Spain and take another boat to northern Africa.

He said he has used an app to find roads with the best conditions, as skaters need to travel on smooth surfaces.

“If worst comes to the worst, I’ll either just have to trudge through it, walk or find another route,” he said.

Mr Allison urged other people who may be thinking about taking a trip or doing something out of the ordinary to “go for it”.

“I’ve always wanted to do something like this,” he said.

“There’s no point holding back from the thing you want to do because life is quite short.”