Mark Shearn, a Ground Engineer on the Hercules for over 10 years, acquired 3 damaged pedalos last year which he restored with the aim of undertaking a Lechlade to London pedalo challenge. The team of fifteen C130J Hercules aircrew, engineers and support staff will embark on the 144-mile journey from Lechlade - near their RAF base Brize Norton in Oxfordshire - to London along the River Thames. The group will travel on their pedalos that have been painted green to resemble the famous Hercules which is being retired in July 2023. To make the challenge even more special, the group will be raising money for Breast Cancer UK, recognising a cause that has directly affected team leader Jim Roden and his colleagues’ families. Jim said, 'Amazingly, my mum has survived both a lumpectomy and then a mastectomy years later and it is thanks to the amazing work from such charities as BCUK. A lot of my colleagues have also been touched by this disease. We just wanted to choose a charity that was close to all our hearts.' The challenge in early July will see the team travel by pedalos – at a speed of about 3mph - along the Thames departing Lechlade on Sunday 2nd July at 2pm to arrive on London 6 days later on Friday 7th July. Each of the 3 pedalos will be crewed by 3 people who will swap places throughout the day to progress over 20 miles each day. The team will camp overnight along the route with their support crew.