Man returns home to overjoyed mom after biking around the world for 7 years
Englishman Leigh Timmis set off on a wild adventure seven years ago.
And by wild we mean he was determined to ride his bike for two years around the world. That ambitious timeline quickly fell to the wayside as he realized how daunting the challenge would be to actually traverse the globe.
Timmis' journey came to an emotional end Saturday when he arrived home in Derby, England, hopped off his bike, and jumped into a sweet embrace with his mom, who he hadn't seen since 2014.
The Derby Telegraph caught the stirring scene in a video that will immediately make you want to pick up the phone and thank your mom or that person in your life who's always believed you could do anything.
Timmis, 35, and his mom last saw each other in 2014 when she flew to Taiwan to visit him.
"I actually felt quite nervous before he arrived but it was so good to see him," Timmis' mom Kim Kimberley, told the Derby Telegraph. "He has had an amazing experience and no doubt it will take some adjustment for him to be back but I am so pleased he is here."
Timmis used his trip to raise about $128,000 for the Derbyshire Children's Holiday Centre, a charity that sends kids on trips. He logged 43,000 miles and visited six continents, all on the average daily budget of about $6, according to the BBC.
"The feeling of coming home has been incredible," Timmis told the Derby Telegraph, "and seeing my mum for the first time in ages was a special moment."
Now the whole world gets to celebrate their heartwarming hug.
Rebecca Ruiz is a Senior Reporter at Mashable. She frequently covers mental health, digital culture, and technology. Her areas of expertise include suicide prevention, screen use and mental health, parenting, youth well-being, and meditation and mindfulness. Rebecca's experience prior to Mashable includes working as a staff writer, reporter, and editor at NBC News Digital and as a staff writer at Forbes. Rebecca has a B.A. from Sarah Lawrence College and a masters degree from U.C. Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism.
