Bungay teacher smashes fundraising target on cycle across Iceland

A teacher who cycled across Iceland to buy life-saving equipment for his school has smashed his fundraising target.

Chris Webster, a geography teacher at Bungay High, took on the challenge with the intention of buying a defibrillator for both the high school and sixth form. But Mr Webster completed the gruelling feat with just hours to spare, and raised enough money to install one at a local primary school as well.

He said: “We were faced with really difficult conditions, severe winds, fog, persistent rain and cold.

“The ride was much, much harder than I had anticipated and subsequently each day we were cycling well into the night - in total over the four days we had less than 10 hours sleep.

“On the first two days we faced persistent rain and our bivvy bags, sleeping bags and clothing got soaked - making the remainder of the trip all the more difficult and uncomfortable.

“The wind made cycling into it really difficult and energy sapping, on each day we were averaging a speed of only eight or nine mph, which meant that to clock the required 125 miles a day we needed to get up early and cycle well into the night - it was mentally really challenging.

“The worst day was day three - we needed to cycle over 100 miles on a rough highland track and the route was in much poorer condition than we had expected, with much of it sand and mud, covered in potholes or gravel, it was total nightmare to cycle on - but somehow with only a few falls, we dug in and managed it.”

Mr Webster and his riding partner arrived into Reykjavik airport at 3.30am on Friday morning, having covered almost 500 miles in 89 hours.

Mr Webster has raised nearly £1,500 from his ride, which should fund three defibrillators for Bungay High School and Sixth Form and Sir Robert Hitcham Primary School, Debenham, which his daughters attend.