Why This Journey?

 

In the summer of 2024, I was pulled from the debris after a violent explosion. I’d sustained burns to over 40% of my body, spent weeks in a coma, and faced months of surgeries, skin grafts, and painful rehabilitation. Survival wasn’t guaranteed — and at times, neither was the will to keep going.

 

But recovery doesn’t stop at discharge. It’s not just skin-deep. The emotional healing is slower, lonelier, and harder to explain.

 

So I made a promise:

If I got another shot, I’d use it. Not just to live — but to move, to feel, and to give something back.

 

That’s how Paws & Pedal was born. A soul-level expedition.

A man, a dog, and a solar-powered trike — travelling 12,000 miles across Africa, from Cumbria, England to Cape Town, South Africa. Not in a rush. Not for a trophy. But for a purpose.

 

Where We’re Going

 

We’ll depart in September 2025, riding an electric trike that’s been adapted to carry both myself and Taco, my adventure partner, in a custom-built cockpit.

 

Our route will take us:

 

• From the UK through Spain

• Across the Strait of Gibraltar into Morocco

• Then through West Africa (Mauritania, Senegal, The Gambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire…)

• Into Central Africa (Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo, DRC, Angola)

• And finally into Southern Africa (Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and South Africa)

 

We’ll travel slowly. Camping wild. Navigating borders. Charging where we can. Meeting people. Listening. Learning.

 

We’ll ride through jungles, deserts, and mountains. But more importantly, we’ll pass through communities rarely seen on travel shows or glossy documentaries. And that’s where the real story begins.

 

Why Burns Without Borders?

 

In Africa, only 10% of the population has access to safe plastic or reconstructive surgery. Many burn survivors suffer lifelong complications — physically, emotionally, and socially — without support, visibility, or advocacy.

 

This journey is about changing that.

 

As a survivor myself, I’ll be meeting with other survivors, local clinics, burn units, and charities along the way. We’ll document their stories, share their courage, and raise awareness for burn recovery in all its forms.

 

We’re doing this in support of UK charities burns charities and on the road burns advocacy throughout Africa.

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This expedition is our tribute to their work — and our effort to extend that care beyond borders.

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​What Makes This Different?

 

 

• It’s the first known e-trike expedition from the UK to South Africa — with a dog.

• It’s not a commercial production. It’s real. Raw. Shot in the dust, not a studio.

• It’s a journey told from the saddle and the soul, filmed in real time, with the mistakes, the setbacks, and the breakthroughs included.

• It’s an invitation to reflect on how we recover, how we adapt, and how we find meaning again after trauma.

 

 

 

How You Can Help

 

 

This journey is being built from scratch — no fancy film crew, no backup vehicle, no safety net.

 

That’s why we’ve launched a GoFundMe campaign to keep the wheels turning.

Your donations will:

 

• Cover the most essential survival costs (bike maintenance, batteries, food, Taco’s health, charging access)

• Provide an emergency buffer when things go wrong (and they will)

• And most importantly, fund the long-term goal of raising as much money as possible for our two burns charities

 

 

Sponsor Us. Share Our Story. Fuel Every Mile.

 

 

Whether you’re a brand, a follower, a survivor, or a stranger — we need you on this ride.

You can sponsor a stretch, donate to our cause, or simply share the story with someone who needs it.

 

This journey is about more than distance.

It’s about proving that what nearly ends us can also be what sets us in motion.

 

Join us. Ride with us.

Help us turn recovery into movement — and movement into meaning.

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Drop us an email at leigh.taylor80@icloud.com or donate what you can here or join the 100 of 100: Wall of Kindness here.