Unicyclist takes on 215-mile Coast 2 Coast challenge to make a “wheel” difference to Arbroath FC Community Trust

Will cycling for Teddy Bears Playgroup in 2025 - on his mum's bike

A North Sea coast-to-coast cycling challenge will take on an extraordinary twist this June, as one fundraiser prepares to ride 215-miles - on a unicycle!

Fife-based engineer Will Homer is no stranger to endurance challenges, having previously cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats and skied across Greenland. 

However, he admits the 2026 bp Coast 2 Coast (C2C) cycle on just one wheel may be one of his toughest tests yet.

From June 4–7, more than 50 riders and support crew will take part in the challenge, crossing Scotland from Ullapool to Aberdeen, to raise money for four charities - The Archie Foundation, Instant Neighbour, Aberdeen Football Club Community Trust and Will’s chosen cause, Arbroath Football Club Community Trust.

For Will, the ride has been slightly adapted, avoiding some of the harshest hills, due the added physical demands of riding a unicycle.

“I have done the Coast 2 Coast ride before but thought I’d go a step further this year,” he said. “I used to ride a unicycle when I was about 10, and after 25 years I dug it out from my parents’ garage. I couldn’t believe I could still ride it.”

Now training on a larger, modified unicycle with a custom saddlebag and brake system, Will is preparing for what he expects to be three gruelling days on the road. 

Unlike a traditional bike, the unicycle has no gears and demands constant balance, placing unique strain on the body.

Will training on his unicycle

“Pedalling uphill is really hard work,” he explained. “It’s about half the speed for the same, or more, effort. I’ll be setting off before 5am each day and expect to be on the road for up to 12 hours.”

The C2C route averages around 80 miles per day, meaning he will need to pace himself and take regular breaks, something counter-intuitive compared to standard cycling.

“On a normal bike, you try to stay in the saddle as long as possible. On a unicycle, it’s the opposite. You need to stop regularly just to relieve the pressure and restore circulation,” he said. “It’s a completely different challenge.”

Will has been training for the past two months on quiet back roads around Fife, gradually building endurance. A recent 60km (37 miles) training ride took him more than six hours, an indication of the effort required to complete the full route.

This will be his third consecutive year taking part in bp’s Coast 2 Coast challenge. In 2025, he rode a vintage 1960s bicycle belonging to his mother, raising funds for a local playgroup. 

“We raised money that helped buy a van for the playgroup within weeks,” he said. “Seeing donations turn directly into something that benefits people straight away was incredibly motivating.”

This year, Will is supporting Arbroath Football Club Community Trust, which was nominated by his colleague Barry Valentine, who sits alongside him at bp and will also be taking part in the ride.

Barry, who is chairman of the Arbroath FC Community Trust, said: “It’s brilliant to have Will supporting the Trust in such a unique and challenging way. What he’s taking on is incredible, and it really captures people’s attention. The funds raised will go directly into supporting programmes that make a real difference to people in our community, and we’re hugely grateful for his effort.”

Will, an assignment interventions engineer at bp, said he was inspired to support the Trust after seeing the work it does locally.

“It’s a fantastic charity doing important work in the community,” he said. “I wanted to support something where you can really see the difference it makes. I don’t necessarily know what drives me. But if I can use that ability to endure something unusual and turn it into support for others, then that’s worth doing.”

Every year, employees of bp North Sea vote for the charities which will benefit from the proceeds of the cycle. Their fundraising efforts are then match-funded by the bp Foundation. 

To sponsor one of the four Coast 2 Coast charities, you can select your preferred cause and click the link below:

• Arbroath FC Community Trust  Team fundraising for Arbroath FC Community Trust is fundraising for Arbroath FC Community Trust
• Aberdeen FC Community Trust - Team fundraising for Aberdeen FC Community Trust is fundraising for Aberdeen FC Community Trust
• Archie Foundation - Team fundraising for The Archie Foundation is fundraising for The Archie Foundation
• Instant Neighbour - Team fundraising for Instant Neighbour Aberdeen is fundraising for Instant Neighbour Aberdeen

About Coast 2 Coast 

bp North Sea’s annual fundraising ride will take place from June 4-7. The ride begins on the west coast in Ullapool, travelling through Beauly and Elgin, before finishing in Aberdeen.

Participants will cycle the length of the country to support The Archie Foundation, Instant Neighbour and Arbroath Football Club Community Trust, as well as Aberdeen Football Club Community Trust.

Now in its 17th year, The Coast 2 Coast challenge has become a highlight of bp’s annual fundraising calendar, bringing colleagues together to test their endurance while supporting charities that make a tangible difference locally and has raised more than £2.5million for good causes. 

About the charities

Aberdeen FC Community Trust was established in March 2014 with the vision “to provide support and opportunity to change lives for the better”. This award-winning charity focuses on inspiring and empowering, particularly the next generation, through education and positive destinations; football, health and wellbeing.

Arbroath FC Community Trust officially launched in 2020 and aims to improve the life chances of the people of Arbroath through the power of football. It runs projects which help to improve health, education, fitness and general wellbeing while promoting community spirit and inclusion of all.

Instant Neighbour has been supporting people in Aberdeen City and Shire for over 40 years, supporting people on low incomes to set up home, by providing access to low-cost reused furniture, white goods, clothing and bric a brac. As well as charity shops, it provides employability experiences and professional joinery services.

The Archie Foundation has helped children and families across the north of Scotland for more than 25 years, funding specialist roles and projects at Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital and, more recently, at Highland Children’s Unit in Inverness, Tayside Children’s Hospital in Dundee and Dr Gray’s Hospital in Elgin.   

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