British man plans to run, cycle, swim around the world for 18 months for charity

London, Mar. 26 (ANI): An unemployed British teacher has decided to swim the Atlantic, cycle across Europe and Siberia and run across the US for 18 months for a charity cause.

Tourists took photographs when Dan Martin, 28, from Peterborough stood in scanty trunks and prepared to dive into the murky waters of the Serpentine in London at the tail end of the worst winter in more than 30 years.

"Lovely, isn't it? Still, better than last week. I cut my finger on some ice when I got in," The Guardian quoted a relaxed Martin, as saying.

Martin, who will begin his Global Triathlon on May 8, is trying to raise money for orphans in Nepal through his adventure.

"I always say it's just to impress girls in bars, but it's raising money for a great charity that helps orphans in Nepal. But also I think it's the great British adventure that can be done, and should be done," he said.

With nothing but his ginger beard and a whole lot of nerve to keep him warm, he will head out into the Atlantic, over the grave of the Titanic and up towards the Eurasian tectonic plate, the paper reports.

If all goes well, somewhere between four and six months and 3,500 miles later he will emerge in Brest, France.

There, Martin will start biking until he reaches Uelen, Asia's most easterly settlement in Russia.

To get there, he will have pedalled through Siberia's deadly winters.

"People think swimming the Atlantic is going to be the hardest part, but it's probably the cycling. It can drop as low as minus 80C in the Siberian winter. Ha ha! I don't even like cycling," Martin said.

When Martin reaches Uelen he will be run back home.

Only when he reaches New York - probably at the end of 2011 - will his journey be concluded. (ANI)