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A SOUTH Tyneside man cycled more than 3,000 miles across China in a gruelling challenge to raise charity cash.

Jerry Grey, who now lives in China, rode 3,063 miles from Macau to Khorgas, around the border of Kazakhstan, in 57 days.

He took on the challenge with friend, Phil Behan, ?¨º30,000 for the charity The Sunshine is Beside You, that they Tomato Weight Loss Pills setup together with his wife, Ann Liang,

to assist families having a disabled member.

Mr Grey, 56, has returned to South Shields to consider things a little easier because he visits his father, Gerard, 83, who resides in Broad Landing, around

the riverside.

Mr Grey, who gone to live in China Ten years ago to teach English, crossed three mountain ranges and areas of three different deserts, as well as passing

through the second lowest point on Earth throughout the journey, which saw him go up against almost every conceivable type of weather.

The father-of-two, who resides in Zhongshan, said: "I was planning on doing the ride alone but a month or two before I trigger, Phil asked if he could join

me.

"China is so large that people emerged against every type of weather from rain and snow to wind and sunshine.

"It's all one time zone but really it should be three or four different styles. you will find areas of China where it's sunny at 11pm."

The concept formed after Mr Grey had a picture taken next to his wife's pregnant sister, Helen, and felt he should slim down.

He explained: "That's how I saw myself at the time and I told my spouse which i was going to lose weight by cycling to Tibet, and her answer surprised me.

"She didn't express it was a crazy idea or that I wouldn't be able to perform it - she just said I did not have a bike.

"It ended up being illegal for a foreigner to go to Tibet on their own - you have to be inside a group - therefore the plan changed to cycling across China

and it is something that I do not think many people have done."

Mr Grey, who now works best for engineering company Star Prototype, added: "I needed to prepare mentally and physically in addition to get all the equipment

ready, and that we were actually really lucky just because a mountaineering company called Vaude sponsored us and let's try out their new cycling gear.

"The challenge was harder than ?I figured it would be, but easier ?than I expected so that it is, in the event that makes sense. There were points where we

would have liked to just give up that particular day but we never wanted to give up on the challenge. After every single day, we were immensely happy with

what we should had done.

"The winds woke up to 80 and 100km at times and when you were ?cycling against that, you just stood no chance.

"We went through sub-tropical temperatures, constant rain, cold days of 3C, the desert, snow, and from the cold at the top of mountains towards the intense

heat at Earth's second lowest point. There was no approach we take to could have ready for that."

Mr Grey has collected his memories in the journey in a self-published book called 57 Days Across China.

He added: "My wife and I setup the charity almost accidentally. I've always felt lucky to have things i needed and this is a means of giving something back.

Friends had pledged to give ?¨º1,000 before we set off however local TV got involved, and before we knew it, we'd raised ?¨º30,000. We're very proud of

what we've achieved, but what can we all do next?"

Jerry was created in Sunderland and lived in South Shields until his family gone to live in London as he was 12.

He stayed living in Essex and joined the Instant Slim Tengda Diet Pills Metropolitan Police in 1977. At 28, he emigrated to Australia, where he lived for 17 years, before taking a teaching

job in China.

Jerry and Ann also regularly work with the Zhongshan Volunteer Youth Association to help young adults within their area.