James Ketchell, formerly an employee of distributors Avnet spent 2010 rowing single-handedly across the Atlantic and then, in the following year, climbed Mount Everest. For 2013 he decided that cycling 18,000 miles around the world in 6 months would make for a good challenge. And Centrix were happy to be the technology partner for the trip, as well as seeing him off from Greenwich and doing the first 80-miles of the ride with him.
Richard Burbage, Sales & Marketing Director for Centrix, explains more, “I’m a keen cyclist myself, albeit a fair weather one, and one day I was cycling through the rural roads of Hampshire when I met James on his bike. He joined me for a few miles and we got chatting and he mentioned he’d summited Everest and rowed the Atlantic and he was now training for this 18,000 mile bike adventure. One thing lead to another and before the week was out we agreed to sponsor him and provide the relevant communications he needed to keep in touch around the world and to upload to his daily blog etc. This wasn’t just a simple case of lending him an iPhone or a SIM card but the relevant charging technology on the bike to allow him to cycle whilst charging his MacBook and iPhone and to ensure they’d work in all the continents and countries he’d be visiting. Our sponsorship also contributed to the money James needed to raise to pay for the accommodation and flights needed as he and his bike make their way around the world. James is undertaking this challenge unsupported which I think, when you consider he’s cycling upwards of 120 miles every day, is going to be very demanding and at times not without risks. We’ll be following his progress every day on his blog at www.jamesketchell.net “
James set off on his 6-month adventure from Greenwich in London on Sunday 30th June and Richard Burbage and Dave Everest of Centrix joined James on their bikes as they cycled down to Dover before bidding James bon-voyage at the ferry terminal! 80 miles to Dover was enough for Richard and Dave who needed back at work on the Monday, and were secretly grateful of the excuse. The picture shows (from L-R) Richard Burbage, James Ketchell and Dave Everest.