Gardener Andrew Foote cycles from London toward Jerusalem to raise funds for persecuted Christians

Andrew Foote, a 32-year-old gardener, is cycling 2,246 miles from London to Jerusalem. Even with temperatures topping 32°C, only three hours of sleep on one difficult day, and a headwind against him, he does not see the journey mainly as an endurance challenge. He describes it instead as a pilgrimage, inspired by Christians who travel much farther and face far greater risks simply to worship.

Andrew set off from Westminster Cathedral in London on 15 August on a 12-week journey. He hopes to raise £10,000 for Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), which supports suffering and persecuted Christians.

By the time he was two-thirds of the way through France, he had cycled 600 miles (1,000km), with about 2,000 more to go. He still faces the task of crossing Italy, Greece, Turkey and Jordan before reaching Israel. He said he is praying he will be able to enter Israel, and he is trying not to have too many expectations, because of what he called a very volatile situation in the region.

The physical demands have been significant. On one especially hard day, he battled extreme heat and fatigue after sleeping for just three hours. “It was 32 degrees and I had wind in my face, but all in all it’s been going quite well,” he said. He has been covering 60 to 70 miles a day, and the weather is becoming hotter. He admits to feeling saddle sore at times, but he says preparing the route was harder than cycling it. He credits his work as a gardener, which he describes as physically taxing, with helping his stamina.

Reminders of the faith behind the journey are never far away. Passing through fields of harvested wheat and towering sunflowers, he has seen small crucifixes at the roadside as he enters villages. “It’s a constant reminder that what I’m doing isn’t an endurance exercise, rather than a pilgrimage, and it’s a marathon, not a sprint,” he said. Statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus also help keep him focused when doubts arise. He recalled a visit last year to Mary’s House in Turkey as the basis of his resolve: “When I think of that, the doubts go from darkness to like someone’s just flicked a switch and a light’s come on.”

Prayer remains central to the trip. Andrew prays the Rosary as he rides, and he often stops in churches to rest and reflect. Along the way he has also received the Sacrament of Reconciliation from a priest from Togo, whom he described as “the right man in the right moment.” He called the French people he has met “delightful” and said he has communicated with religious sisters through translation apps.

His thoughts are fixed on Jerusalem. “What I’m most looking forward to is putting my hand on the stone in the Holy Sepulchre. That’s where Christ conquered death and where our religion was born. It’s the greatest story and the greatest legacy ever.”

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