UAE-based personal trainer plans epic charity ride

Thomas Woolf - one of the most sought after personal trainers around - is planning an epic charity bike ride from London to Dubai.

In an interview with Sport360°, the UAE-based running coach said he wants to raise $1 million (£643,000) for Prince Harry's Sentebale charity.

He insisted that he wanted to do something that took him out of his comfort zone and there are few more challenging tasks than pedalling for 9,000 km across two continents.

Mr Woolf started training for the ride in January and with good reason. He will be in the saddle for eight hours a day and his route will take him through some very tricky terrain.

Having successfully negotiated a number of countries in western and central Europe, he will have to cycle through Bulgaria and Turkey and he feels this leg of the journey will be the toughest.

Before he reaches the UAE, he must conquer Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia too. The ultra-fit athlete has also urged other people living in the UAE to get involved in some form of charity event.

'There are some great challenges such as the Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycle Challenge in December or the ADNIC Yas Run in Abu Dhabi in November,' he was quoted as saying.

'If I do a challenge and five or six people read about it and then go out and do something, they might inspire some of their friends and suddenly there's this tidal wave of positivity.'

The UAE is steadily building itself a strong reputation as a sporting hub and Mr Woolf's challenge is not the only bicycle-based activity worth keeping an eye out for in the next six months or so.

Between February 5th and 8th 2014, the country will host the Dubai Tour, which will see some of the world's most talented cyclists take to the roads.

The Organising Committee recently confirmed that a route has been put together and it will include many of the emirate's most iconic sights, such as the Burj Khalifa and Burj Al Arab.