A CYCLIST has completed an epic bike ride to towns across the UK beginning with a different letter of the alphabet to raise money for charity.

Hywel Jenkins, 43, who was brought up in Caerleon, took up the unenviable ride in March after initially challenging his friend to do 16 press-ups.

Mr Jenkins has raised more than £2,200 for Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research after cycling to 26 towns beginning with different letters of the alphabet across the UK, and completing more than 1,600 miles.

His girlfriend, 37-year-old Mary-Jane Sweeting, was diagnosed with Lymphoma two years ago and underwent months of chemotherapy in the summer of 2011. She has since been given the all-clear.

But his father, Geoffrey, died from Myeloma, a form of blood cancer, aged 69 just weeks after his son had started the challenge earlier this year.

On Sunday, Mr Jenkins completed the last leg of the challenge and arrived in Birchgrove, Tirphil, where his father was born and raised.

Mr Jenkins, who now works as a web designer in Cheltenham, said: “There were balloons and banners and loads of friends and family had come out. It was nice to see them all but it was quite emotional.

“[My mother and father] kept me going. On Saturday, I doubted if I could even finish the ride – not physically but emotionally. But I just thought of what my mum and dad did and told myself this is just a bike ride.”

The only letters to have caused Mr Jenkins problems while planning his destinations were “j”, “x” and “z”.

A three-hour trip to Jack’s Green was eventually chosen for “j”, a bike ride to his hometown of Caerleon was used in place of the letter “x”, and the trip to Birchgrove on Sunday represented “z”. Other challenging journeys included a nine-hour cycle from Torquay to Ilfracombe, via Dartmoor, and an eight-hour hike to Abergavenny.

But Mr Jenkins’ challenge was in major doubt in August, when he was diagnosed with Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) in his left leg. He did not ride for a month and has had more than 70 blood tests, and 50 injections since.

He added: “For two weeks I couldn’t walk properly let alone ride on it. It’s the most painful thing I’ve ever had.

“It’s been a bit emotional over the last few days as it came close to finish. I’ve spent so long focusing on it that everything else seems to have stopped or slowed down.

“I’ve climbed Everest three times, and I’ve burned over a stone in weight. But I couldn’t have done it without the help of my friends who came along with me for some of the rides and my family. I’ve enjoyed it all.”

His mother, Veronica, still lives in Caerleon and was there to greet her son on Sunday. She said: “It’s been very difficult for him to do it really after what we have been through over the last 18 months. I’m very proud of him.”