A TENBY man is putting aside his computer skills for a couple of weeks next month, to test out his cycling credentials.

Twenty-six-year-old Sion Smith, of Southcliffe Gardens, who is now a director of Java software consultancy in London, will be cycling from Panama into Costa Rica before finishing up in Nicaragua as part of 'Macmillan Cancer Support's Central America Cycling Challenge'.

Sion's trip, which takes place between November 21 and December 3, is expected to take around eight consecutive days of cycling and covering just under 700 km.

For training, Sion is currently cycling around 40 miles per day, five days a week, with gym work in between, while a couple of weeks before the challenge, he will ramp up the preparation to around 60 miles per day, with the added bonus of doing a lot more cycling off-road.

"I am doing it in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support which helps improve the lives of people living with cancer and their families and carers, and is such a worthwhile charity," said Sion, a former pupil of Tenby Infants, Junior and Greenhill schools, where he was deputy head boy in 2001.

"I have raised over £1,500, but need another £1,500 before the beginning of November - a tough order I know! I am hoping to gain sponsorship off anyone or any organisation, especially if they have been helped by Macmillan in the past or have been affected in any way by cancer.

"This trip has never been done before. Although it is organised by Macmillan, there will be a lot of responsibility on the participants to make navigational decisions on routes, check-point timings, as well as camp set-up at the end of each day.

"It's not a race though. We will be given maps to navigate our way to check-points. However, we will have the use of support trucks who will be carrying food and water supplies, together with the camp equipment," he explained.

Anyone wishing to sponsor Sion can visit the just giving website, which can be found at http://www.justgiving.com/sionsmith">www.justgiving.com/sionsmith