A young cyclist from London has pedalled over 11,500km in the past six months to raise money for a school for street children in Calcutta. His journey, which has taken him through 22 countries, will continue for another six months.
On Thursday afternoon, 26-year-old Nick Franke arrived at Future Hope, the Roland Row school he is fundraising for.
He was greeted with cheers, colours and chatter as students lined the road to the school, giving him a hero’s welcome with hand-drawn flags of every country he
has crossed since beginning his transcontinental ride in May.
For Franke, it’s like a homecoming of sorts. “I came to Future Hope in 2004 when I was seven years old. The work they have been doing is exemplary,” he told Metro. “I always dreamt of travelling the world. Cycling is my passion. Combining the two was not difficult. Doing it for a cause I believe in makes the journey more special.”
He is the nephew of Tim Grandage, founder of Future Hope, the NGO that runs the school and uses sports as a tool to support and empower children from the margins.
On Thursday, several students who have taken up cycling as a sport flanked him, including 15-year-old Manju Shah, recently adjudged the best female participant at the Tour De Bengal, a three-day, 450km race across several districts.
Franke’s route so far has been long and varied. From the UK, he travelled by ferry to France and then cycled across Europe before reaching Turkey. From Istanbul, he flew to Georgia and then rode across Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. From Tashkent, he took a flight to New Delhi, cycled to Nepal, re-entered India and reached Calcutta via Bihar. Thursday marked the 180th day of his expedition.
“Cycling is such an exciting way to see countries for what they are,” Franke said. “Countries are not made up of monuments and landmarks. They are made of people.”
Along the way, strangers became helpers in unexpected moments. In the blistering heat of southeastern Turkey, the patches on his tyres kept melting every 8 to 10km. Exhausted, he was suddenly approached by a group travelling in two cars. They shared a massive watermelon from the boot of one of the cars, invited him home for tea — which turned into a full-spread dinner — and hosted him for the night.
On Wednesday, near the Bengal-Bihar border, feeling unwell, he was offered tea and biscuits by a man who simply walked up and asked if he was all right.
“I have been lucky to witness extraordinary kindness. There have been some unsavoury experiences as well, but the good ones far outnumber the bad ones,” he said.
Franke typically starts riding at dawn and stops before dark, covering 100 to 120km a day. He spends nights in a tent, a hotel or with local hosts. He samples local food wherever he goes, and in India, his favourite so far has been the rich, frothy dal served at highway dhabas.
Franke will leave from Calcutta on November 27.
The next legs of his journey include Thailand, Australia and New Zealand, before he flies to the US. From there, he will cross the waters to Portugal and cycle back to London — all before May.
“My best friend is getting married and I have to be the best man. I have promised him,” he said.
Sujata Sen, CEO of Future Hope, said: “We loved his adventures because we hope this spirit will be instilled in our children. We wish him good luck for what remains of his journey. We will be keeping track of it.”
