A Rugeley man has arrived back in the UK after dribbling a football from Marrakesh, Morocco, to Dover as part of a charity challenge. James Lewis landed late on Thursday after starting the journey on 1 May.
Lewis undertook the four-week challenge to raise money for St Giles Hospice, which cared for his father David in 2011 before he died. He has so far collected more than £49,000 towards a target of £100,000.
The challenge
Lewis chose Morocco as the closest African nation to the UK for his dribbling challenge. He faced severe conditions during the journey, including temperatures of 40C.
"The last four weeks have been a mental rollercoaster," Lewis told BBC WM. "It was the worst time in my life, for a week or two weeks straight, and the worst part was I was all by myself."
He described the challenge as "mainly been a battle about fighting the heat and all the mental elements such as loneliness and there's a lot of stress involved."
Lewis said a friend met him in Dover, and "because I've been on my own for close on three months I nearly cried at the sight of him."
Journey home
Lewis will need another nine days to complete the journey from Dover back to Rugeley. He originally planned to reach Wembley Stadium to watch England in the 2026 World Cup final, but England did not qualify.
"I'm now on home soil so I'm feeling much, much better," he said. "I'm in the UK now, I'm happy, I'm good."
Lewis continues to support St Giles Hospice because of the care it provided to his father. His JustGiving page remains active as he works towards his £100,000 target.