I'm pedalling a massive 420km across Madagascar to raise funds for the charity Computer Aid International by participating in the Madagascar Cycle Challenge (27th September – 5th October).

The gruelling bike ride will take me across one of the most ecologically rich and unique countries on the planet, racing on tarmac roads and dusty red-earth off road trails. Far away from the modern comforts of daily life, this will be an unforgettable experience, which is also helping Computer Aid International deliver refurbished computers to schools in the area.

Madagascar is the 4th largest island in the world, located in the Indian Ocean, 400km west of Mozambique on the coast of Africa.  Famous for its evergreen rainforests, Madagascar has a diverse animal, plant and aquatic life, said to rival the Amazon in its diversity.

During the 5 day cycle challenge me and 14 of my colleagues from Microsoft will take time out to visit a rural school in the village of Isaingy, where Microsoft engineers are helping to deploy 10 computers donated by the Digital Pipeline, a charity which champions the refurbishment and redeployment of donated PCs to serve the educational needs of communities in the developing world.

The Microsoft team’s goal is to raise over £40,000 (€50,000) in sponsorship monies; enough to fully equip 15 schools in Madagascar with a purpose built Computer Lab.

Here's how the pain goes;

Monday 85km (20km off road)

Tuesday 98km (13km off road)

Wednesday 75km (7km tough off road)

Thursday 104km (7km tough off road)

Friday 68km (8km off road)

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Computer Aid International gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

So please sponsor me now!