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| Mike Perham youngest person to circumnavigate globe |
Mike Perham, of Potters Bar, was just 17-years-old when he sailed around the world in 2009.
Three years later, the 20-year-old has added to his achievements by driving 23,000 miles around the globe in a bright orange 'Spaceship' car for the charity Shelterbox, which provides shelter and life-saving supplies to people affected by disasters across the world.
He said: “The whole adventure was amazing. I met so many people and had the opportunity to raise a whole heap of cash for ShelterBox.”
Since setting off in July, he has visited 20 countries taking in Europe, Russia, China, Laos, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the USA, before arriving back in the UK today.
Mike met some of the people helped by ShelterBox on his trip.
During his drive through China, he visited the Sichuan Province where the charity responded to a 7.9-magnitude earthquake in 2008.
Mike said: “It was quite astounding going into these zones and seeing evidence of how the disaster had affected people’s lives”
The journey was not without its difficult moments. Mike said: “The hardest thing was communicating with people speaking different languages. I also missed my friends and family – but I got to make friends on the road too.”
His mum and dad, Peter and Heather, and sister Fiona, 22, cheered as he arrived at his final destination at the Royal Air Force Museum in Hendon.
Mike said: “I came in behind a convoy of about 14 other Spaceships – we made a big impact on London’s roads today – and then we had a little party and some champagne.
“It’s really nice to see my family again, and I’m really looking forward to mum’s home cooking.”
His dad, Peter, 50, said: “There were always times when we worried about him going through very deprived areas. But we’re delighted to have him back, and very excited he’s achieved what he set out to do.”
The young adventurer is not going to stop here. Mike has already set his sights on flying around the world and plans to spend 2013 learning how to fly, before taking to the skies the following year in a 1942 Vintage Fly Plane.
He said: “Driving around the world was only a small part of a big adventure.”
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