A young man who tried to take his life is now raising thousands of pounds for charity by cycling from Kent to Australia.

Sam Murray quit his job as an IT worker earlier this year to take on the mega challenge, which will see him ride more than 3,400 miles through several countries.

The 24-year-old has so far raised £4,200 after leaving his home in Greenhithe for the land down under on Monday, May 27.

He has made his way through France, Brussels, Germany, Switzerland and Venice and still has Turkey, Georgia, Russia, and Kazakhstan on his list.

He is hoping to end his trip in Perth next July. You can donate to Sam’s fundraiser here.

Along the way, Sam has been camping under tunnels and underpasses - being welcomed in by local communities where he has stayed.

Sam, who has left behind his family and girlfriend, is hoping to raise money for the support charity Samaritans after he tried to take his own life in June 2020.

He said: “Back in 2020 I tried to take my own life.

“The main reason I am doing this is to show people that things can get better and you can do something incredibly crazy, that you can start living your dreams as long as you give yourself a bit of self love.

“I have always liked travelling and seeing the world. The great thing about tourism on a bike is that you get to see the towns and villages that are off the beaten path.”

Sam’s favourite part of his journey so far has been meeting a family in Burkheim, Germany, who took him in for a couple of days and watched the Euros with him.

“I was cycling along the French border and took a detour to go over the border into Germany,” he explained.

“I crossed the bridge into Germany when I noticed that a local football club was hosting a viewing of the game.

“I watched the opening game there and was taken in for a couple of days by this family - I was their fourth son for the weekend.

“That was a highlight for me - it shows how kind people can really be to strangers.”

One of the challenges Sam faced was cycling through the Furka Pass - a 7,969ft mountain pass in the southern Swiss Alps - where he witnessed a cyclist in a serious collision.

He said: “I had just cycled down 500 metres and I had to go up 800 metres. I was half way up the hill when I saw a cyclist coming down at speed and a motorbike crashing into the back of him.

“The cyclist had some gruesome injuries and I called an ambulance. I stayed for a few hours to talk to police.

“It was getting dark, I had seen a horrific accident climbing this mountain and I was scared to cycle after what I had just seen.”

Sam is currently in Italy waiting for his bike to be repaired and is hoping to stay on one bike the whole journey.

Next, he will cycle his way through Turkey, Georgia, Russia, and Kazakhstan, ending his 3,462-mile trip in Perth in July 2025.

Sam said: “My route is a little bit of what I fancy, I don’t have a strict route. I do have an idea how I will get through Asia now.

“I might have to get a plane from Kazakhstan to South East Asia as there are a few conflicts going on in the countries in between.”