'My life paused when my dad took his own life - now I'm finishing what he started'

A barber whose dad planned a unicycle ride before taking his own life is now finishing what he started.

Izak Lewis was just 19 years old when his father, Patrick, took his own life in April 2014. Izak, who lives in Manchester, said his life was “paused” for several years afterwards and he started going out and drinking more to “mask (his) pain”.

Before his death, Patrick had planned a unicycle ride from Queensbury in West Yorkshire to London to raise money for Cancer Research UK, but he never got the chance to complete it. Given Patrick taught him how to ride a unicycle, Izak, now 29, plans to follow in his father’s footsteps, completing the 273-mile challenge in tribute to him.

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Starting at Shoreham-by-Sea in West Sussex on September 10, Izak will ride an average of 10 miles a day on his unicycle on country lanes, cycle paths, and along canals, before reaching his final destination in Queensbury, where he grew up with Patrick.

Izak's partner, Sophie Stonehouse, 24, will accompany Izak, driving with equipment and their dog Sprout, and the couple will stay at campsites and in charity gardens along the way – and they are bringing some of Patrick’s ashes with them.

Izak is undertaking the challenge in aid of Tough To Talk, a charity dedicated to combating male suicide, and he hopes to raise £20,000 over the 30-day ride to help support others struggling with mental health.

He said: “It’s like he has left me something to do. In a way, by teaching me how to ride a unicycle, he has left me a gift.

“My dad didn’t leave me much, but he has left me this, and it’s the only thing he’s prepared me for in my life.”

Speaking about his message to other men, he