Right now, English cyclist Joe Dick is approaching the final few metres of an unusual odyssey: the 23-year-old sports fanatic has just ridden his Cube road bike from the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City to the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, a suburb of New York City – a 5000km escapade he was determined to complete between the first kick of the opening game of 2026 FIFA World Cup and the final whistle of the tournament.
The trainee sport and exercise psychologist from Warwickshire pedalled away from the Aztec Stadium in the heart of the Mexican capital when the whistle blew for the first game of the 2026 World Cup, on 11 June, kicking off both the contest between Mexico and South Africa and Dick’s extraordinary journey. According to the challenge he’d set himself, he had just 39 days to complete his mission and reach the MetLife Stadium in time for the final – a game that he had hoped would feature England.
(Image credit: Joe Dick)
Dick has been planning this cycling challenge for some time, and it’s underpinned by a very serious cause, which is close to his heart.
“I’ve had this idea for about two years now,” he told Cycling Weekly on the phone, while riding along an interstate heading into New York, as trucks thundered past in the background.
“I love my sports and exercise, and I love travel. I wanted to put what I’ve been learning with sport psychology into practise while doing this endurance challenge, and it’s a great opportunity to raise some money for a mental health charity, which is something I’m passionate about.”
En route Joe has raised thousands of pounds for Campaign Against Living Miserably, a suicide prevention charity that supported him during a difficult time in his own life.
(Image credit: Joe Dick)
He chose to call his campaign ‘Beat The Final Whistle’ as “a tribute to the thousands of people whose ‘final whistle’ comes far too early.”
“This cause is deeply personal to me, as l’ve faced my own struggles with mental health and know how vital awareness and support can be,” he said on the Instagram post that announced the challenge.
“48 teams will compete in the tournament, representing a whopping quarter of the globe. It seems apt then, and poignant, to highlight that 1 in 4 of us will have experienced suicidal thoughts. It’s a statistic that is shocking as it is solvable. And change can occur with more attention, resources, and open conversation.”
(Image credit: Joe Dick)
In his Instagram diary, documenting his adventure, Dick bubbles with positivity, but he has ADHD and he is very open and honest about the challenges that entails. The journey has also been bumpy at times.
“In my first week, in Mexico, I encountered a lot of punctures… In that first week when I knew there were so many miles ahead of me, that was really hard to get through,” he told the BBC. “But that’s when I sort of had to practise what I preach in terms of my sports psychology.”
(Image credit: Joe Dick)
And he has prevailed. Dicks will arrive at the MetLife Stadium well before the final whistle, in time to actually enjoy watching the final – even though it’s not going to feature his team.
“I’m gutted about the result!” he told me the day after England were knocked out of the cup by Argentina. But on the upside, he the riding was going well, and he was ahead of schedule.
“I’m on track for the final – baring any disasters I should get there the day before. My dad is flying out to meet me. We don’t have a ticket for the final – obviously they are crazy expensive – so we’ll watch it in a bar somewhere. I’ll definitely be rooting for Spain!”
