20-year-old redefines determination by cycling 1500 km from Italy to grandparents' house in England

Determination helps to break barriers you never thought you could. There is often something unique about persistence that when you cling to it, nothing seems impossible and whatever the outcome be, you’ll always find yourself gratefully successful. When this determination is backed by a desire to do good and make a difference, you become unstoppable. Humanity and the strength of kindness break through and you can overcome every challenge in a way you never imagined before. A similar story of 20-year-old Claudio Barchiesi has taken the internet by storm lately.

Barchiesi was determined to make a difference and do something kind and so he decided to cycle. He took his bike and set out on one of the most thoughtful adventures, cycling from his hometown Barzano, Italy to his grandparents' home in Barrow village in England. That’s right, he decided to cycle across countries. This was not just a fantasy or adventure. Barchiesi dedicated his long trip to a good cause. BBC News reported that he aimed to raise a euro for every kilometer he rode. His trip was a total of 1500 kilometers but he managed to raise over 4k euros. These funds would be sent to the AIRC, an Italian Foundation for Cancer Research. 

The article further mentioned that the 20-year-old was not keen on cycling. The idea of the trip didn’t stem from his love for cycling per se. He only banked around 5 km per day before his big journey. However, as mentioned earlier, when determination and kindness are in the picture, you break through any barrier. Barchiesi began training for this trip months ago, his persistence kept him moving forward till he was able to complete 90 km per day. Barchiesi said, “I tried to do 90 km a day so I got half a day to visit the place as well. It's incredible how after 90km, not only do the places change so much, but also the people and the languages spoken.”

When asked about the journey, the 20-year-old said that it was great and only something he constantly looked forward to. He took to Instagram to share bits of his journey. In one of his posts, he shared a clip with the text, "Cycling from Italy to UK. Cycling against Cancer.” Needless to say, Barchiesi’s dedication to being a vibrant example of humanity paved the way forward with every kilometer. His social media shows a series of posts of his journey throughout. With the different places, his excitement, his updates and more, the Italian young boy was simply unstoppable.

The article further mentioned that Barchiesi’s mother is English and so he had grandparents living in Bury, St Edmund, England. He cycled the last few miles toward the end of his trip, his grandparents' home, where they welcomed him with balloons, banners and many congratulations. “It was nice to pull up round the bend and see everyone, quite emotional as well," the 20-year-old said. He never expected to raise the amount that he did and he is beyond grateful and happy for the support which will aid him in helping so many more than what he intended. 

“I smashed my initial target and I never thought I'd be able to have the help and support of so many people. The article also mentioned the boy’s family’s reaction to this unique adventure. Barchiesi's grandmother Pat Stoten said, "I've never been prouder of anything in my whole life." Barchiesi’s example is a major one to the youths of today. Persistence and humanity bring out the best outcomes that provide joy that nothing else can bring.