Branson in Italy to support youths’ future

FLORENCE, ITALY – Billionaire British entrepreneur Richard Branson is cycling through Italy from the north to the south as part of the Big Change project, an idea that came from his children.

The name of the project is Virgin Strive Challenge and, after the 2014 experience, it is returning in 2016, to once again push the boundaries of human capabilities in an epic month-long journey.

This year’s core team is expanded to 20 members, who are joining by 325 Strivers across different legs, including a hike into Northern Italy, cycle to the Southern tip of Italy, swim to Sicily, mountain bike to the foothills of Mount Etna, and half-marathon run to the summit of the volcano. The Branson’ s team is now in Tuscany: they are not crossing through the city, they choose mountains routes.

Big Change aims to raise £ 1.5 million for innovative projects, which support young people with the necessary tools they need to thrive in life, not just the classroom. About 2,000 kilometers will be covered in a single month, double the last challenge in 2014, which raised over 750,000 pounds sterling.