BBC Radio 2 presenter Owain Wyn Evans will begin a 400-mile bike ride across four nations in four days on Monday, November 9, to raise money for Children in Need, finishing in Cardiff on Friday, November 13, which is Children in Need day.
The 42-year-old, who says he last rode a bike properly when he was a teenager, has been training since July. He will follow in the footsteps of fellow presenters Sara Cox, Paddy McGuinness and Vernon Kay, who have all undertaken similar endurance challenges for the charity.
A demanding schedule
Owain has been juggling his training with a normal work day that starts at 3am and a house renovation. In an interview, he admitted that the challenge is different from anything he has cycled before, saying: "With this challenge, these are road racing bikes, it's not like the kind of thing that I've ever cycled before."
Speaking days before setting off, he said he was feeling "as prepared as I can" after putting as much training into the challenge as possible.
Overcoming school-day insecurities
Training for the endurance event has brought up emotions linked to his school days. Owain recalled always being the last person chosen for a team in PE lessons, and he hopes his challenge can help others who had similar experiences.
"I hope that I can show that, you know what, you can have a new relationship with exercise," he said.
Previous fundraising and support
This is not his first Children in Need challenge. In 2021, he drummed for 24 hours straight, raising more than £3 million for the charity. He has also been training with Professor Greg Whyte.
Owain has spoken to Sara Cox, Vernon Kay and Paddy McGuinness for advice, praising their support. He said: "Sara's just been amazing with her advice because, like me, she comes from a background of not being athletic but did this monumental thing last year."
The challenge will end in his home city of Cardiff, which he described as "definitely a bonus". He said he is most looking forward to covering all four nations, noting it is the first four-nations Children in Need challenge for Radio 2 and the longest distance a presenter has had to cover for the charity in this context.
His route will be made public during the week, and he will ring in to speak to Radio 2 colleagues every day. Cameras will follow him throughout the journey.
