Fayis Asraf Ali, a 37-year-old engineer from Kerala, recently completed an epic long-distance cycling challenge. Ali cycled nearly 22,000 kilometres across 30 countries from India to the UK. His journey concluded at the iconic Tower Bridge in London last month.
Ali, who hails from Kozhikode, spent 450 days on this expedition, camping in cities across Oman, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Iran, Armenia, Georgia, Turkiye, Greece, North Macedonia, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, and France.
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An electronics and communications engineer, Ali’s “Ecowheelers” mission aimed to create awareness around several causes, including promoting a green agenda and zero carbon emissions. “This voyage has a lot of social values rather than being an adventure ride,” said Ali. He also intended to raise awareness about fitness, healthcare, the Rotary Mission’s “End Polio Now” campaign, conflict resolution, peacebuilding, and anti-drug messages through discussions and presentations with student groups along his route.
Ali’s family, including his two sons, nine-year-old Fahzin Omar and five-year-old Izin Nahel, were waiting for him at the end of his tour, which began in Kerala on Independence Day in August 2022. “I am proud to be married to this amazing man who is a doting father,” said his wife, Dr. Asmin Fayis. She noted that Ali had spoken at 24 schools, 10 colleges, and three universities during his ride.
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Riding an American Surly Disk Trucker Cycle weighing around 50 kg, which was sponsored by UAE-based Para John and supported by Dubai-based Emirates First and Rotary International, Ali is now planning a similar American cycling tour. He hopes to undertake this new challenge in the coming months.
Reflecting on his journey, Ali shared, “This ride has given me tons and tons of memories and achievements. What I understood from my ride is there exist no boundaries in the people’s minds and souls. I got so much support from everyone throughout my journey, regardless of the country I travelled to. I stayed with families in Iran, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, and many more places.”
Currently, Ali is engaging in several university tours and discussions across the UK, encouraging more cycling enthusiasts to take up similar healthy causes.
