Boy begins 230-mile charity cycle to Paralympics

Dexter said he was "excited" and ready to take on the ride after "really hard" training

A 12-year-old boy has set off on a 230-mile (370km) charity cycling challenge from Berkshire to Paris, for the opening of the Paralympics.

Dexter left Woodley, in Reading, at 08:30 BST, alongside his mother Sam and coach Dave Covey.

He is hoping to raise £10,000 for a group of charities, including WheelPower in Stoke Mandeville, Aylesbury, which supports wheelchair users accessing sport.

Mr Covey said Dexter's dedication was "immense".

Mum Sam (left) and coach Dave Covey (right) said they believed Dexter would "completely smash" the challenge

The ride is expected to take three days, covering 65 miles (105km) on day one, 85 miles (137km) on day two and 74 miles (119km) on day three.

Dexter said the training had been "really hard", adding: "But now I'm here and I just really want to do it."

He is also raising money for Reading-based Sport in Mind, which uses physical activity to help those experiencing poor mental health, and Fanconi Hope, which supports children affected by fanconi anemia, a rare genetic disorder affecting bone marrow.

His mother Sam said he was "really dedicated" and "really passionate about sport".

"Dexter is a really caring little boy, he's always thinking of other people," she said.

"He's already raised £5,000 before he's even done the challenge, which is amazing and I just really hope that people now get behind him."

She said while she felt "nervous", her son would "completely smash it", adding: "I know that he's going to drive me and motivate me along the way."

Mr Covey said the 12-year-old's dedication to the challenge was "immense" and said they they would find it tough but would succeed because they had "put in the work".

"Dexter will always say that it's for other people, not for him," he said.