Day 256 - Sun 13 June - 20,293 km, Rustenburg, South Africa

After a bit of swimming, some running and a fair amount of cycling, I eventually rode the last few emotional kms to the Bafokeng Stadium, Rustenburg on Saturday to complete a life changing 8 month adventure to the South Africa 2010 World Cup!! Fittingly hitting the charity target of GBP 20,000 - GBP 1 per km, on the same day only served to heighten my emotional state and by the time the game kicked off the nerves, excitement and lack of oxygen from singing and blowing the vuvuzela had turned me into a jibbering wreck. Thankfully Gerrard's early goal provided the perfect release although my voice was soon hoarse from competing with the hornets nest of vuvuzelas and it soon became apparent that the Yanks would be no walk over. Robert's fumble later left us all feeling green about England's prospects, particularly given Germany's demolition of the Socceroos (potential opponents if we come runner up in the group!), but the atmosphere was truly phenomenal and it was awesome to be able to share the experience with friends Sam, Danny, James & Sammy. We're now all suffering from vuvuzela lip (the medical term used to describe lip sores resulting from the vibrations of a well blown vuvuzela!) and struggling to regain our voices.

Massive thanks to Danny & Sam who not only joined me for the last 800km of the trip and took every opportunity to embarrass me in public with details of my triathlon but also raised well over GBP 1000 for re-cycle. Sam in particular was a hero, battling through what was clearly an excruciating achilles injury so we could make it to the match in time - I hope you rediscover the ability to walk and more importantly dance properly- actually I'm not sure that even a good achilles can help on that front!!

It's still hard to believe that I've finally made it to South Africa on my own steam in time for the footy, a feat that would not have been possible or anywhere near as enjoyable without the unbelievable generosity and help I have been shown along the way often from even the poorest and most deprived rural communities in Africa. Special thanks to all those who have been incredibly generous in making donations and following my progress, particularly Helen, Joe, my folks and Nick who have devoted hours to updating the website and helping with logistics, I really appreciate everything you've done for me!

Although my cycle may be over, the football excitement has only just begun and with world cup fever continuing to build, especially given Bafana's promising start, it promises to be an unforgettable few weeks spent touring between stadiums and fan parks. My next stop on England's roller coaster ride to the final is Cape Town for the now very important Algeria game. With more photos and videos to upload I will also endeavour to provide an English fans perspective on the tournament as I put my feet up and watch the drama unfold...

I've done my bit, now it's time for England to do theirs!!!