A 13-year-old boy is making it his mission to cycle more than 250 miles across the Underground network to raise £2,500 for a garden in Waterloo.
James Jenne-Cons, who lives in Waterloo, has ticked off 54 out of 272 stations so far and raised over half of his goal as his crazy cycle challenge aims to support the Emma Cons Gardens restoration project.
The teenager wanted to help his dad Paul Cons, chair of the newly-formed Emma Cons Gardens Trust, fundraise for the project by combining his love of cycling and all things trains.
James said: “Currently the gardens look a bit like a dump, not my favourite place to be.
“I want it to look a lot nicer, a lot cleaner, just make it more like a space that people want to hang out in.
“I really like doing cycling, and when I’m going between the stations, I kind of think about earning as much money as I can to go forward to my cause.”
On the challenge’s GoFundMe page, James added: “Me and Emma Cons are related, my first cousin five times removed, if you are asking.”
The project aims to transform the gardens, named after Victorian pioneer Emma Cons, into a civic heart for Waterloo which will feature an art piece celebrating the social reformer.
James expects to complete the tube map within six months, and despite having only completed two lines so far, the Metropolitan and Waterloo and City lines, he has already raised over half of his goal since starting at the end of December.
Paul, 61, said he is very proud and impressed with how committed his son has been with using his Sundays to bike through the capital.
The pair cycle between stations together, with James in charge of the route and riding ahead of his dad.
Paul said: “The first one we did after Christmas from Amersham was brutal because it was really freezing, but James didn’t seem to be bothered by it.
“It’s a good experience for us to do it together, it’s been really fun.”
For James, completing each line is the most enjoyable part of the experience as it takes him closer to his goal of getting to know London inside and out.
He is currently tackling the Central line, but won’t get to cycle his favourite section of the TfL network as it isn’t part of the challenge.
James said: “Right now I’m completely obsessed with the Overground lines.
“That’s my favourite, but I’m most looking forward to the Circle Line because of how easy it is.
“Waterloo and City was easier because I did it in ten minutes, literally, but it’s only two stations so it’s boring.”
As well as trains, James is a huge fan of the capital’s new Superloop bus network, but added the rest of London’s buses aren’t really his cup of tea.
Once the challenge is complete he hopes to cycle more metro systems, with the top contenders being Paris, Manchester, and New York.
Featured image credit: Paul Cons
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