A Sheffield student has made the difficult decision to postpone their charity bike ride through Wales after the “shocking” death of his close friend on Snowdon last month.

Ted Derisley, 19, from Norfolk, was gearing up to try and raise £1,000 for mental health charity, Andy’s Man Club, on a ride that would see him embark on a 400km route from Holyhead to Cardiff.

However, Ted sadly chose to postpone the ride after the tragic passing of his close friend, Eddie Hill, who was one of the two young men who died after getting caught in bad weather on Snowdon last month.

This was a key part of the route Ted was planning on taking which involved cycling over mountains, through valleys and across coastlines.

Ted, a first year Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Sheffield, said: “This has been a shocking and difficult situation to navigate.”

“Alongside postponement due to safety concerns in the higher elevation, there is also the grieving process.”

But Ted stressed the ride will definitely go ahead in the summer with better weather and preparation.

Ted’s mum, Joanne Derisley, a psychologist, said her son has been cycling “from the moment he could walk.”

Ted said: “When I was around 8-10 years old, I competitively raced around the Lotus test track in Norfolk, and I loved the thrill of racing and the community around it. Back then I cycled on a very retro Peugeot road bike.”

This isn’t the first time he has done a long ride either, after doing a tandem cycle with his friend Dom across the Norfolk coastline before also going on a 150-mile ride with his dad in North Norfolk last year.

The challenge, known as Lôn Las Cymru, will be Ted’s toughest yet. He has been training hard, including going on solo rides, or rides with his friend Eduardo, of up to 110km, even getting up before sunrise on Boxing Day to get in the extra mileage.

“I have felt my overall fitness improve and my confidence in the challenge grow, as I do admit that I was slightly delusional at the start, and remain so!”

Ted will be raising money for Andy’s Man Club, a UK men’s suicide prevention charity whose aim is to end the stigma surrounding men’s mental health through the power of conversation.

Ted argued that choosing this charity made a lot of sense for him and credits his mum for helping him make the decision.

“Because my mum is a psychologist, mental health has always been an open topic in my family home and is very important when dealing with challenging points in my life.

“I ended up settling on Andy’s Man Club because I could see how men around me who were struggling didn’t have a safe space to open up and talk about their problems without judgement. Andy’s Man Club provides this network for men and creates an opportunity to open up these vital conversations.”

The tragic passing of his close friend has only reaffirmed how important the charity is and how it is the right charity for his challenge.

“It has had an impact on my mental health, but I have felt that talking to the people around me has brought me closer to the meaning behind the challenge and what Andy’s Man Club is passionate about.”

To donate to Teds cause visit: Ted Derisley is fundraising for ANDYSMANCLUB