A Chatham dad who is cycling across America in memory of his daughter is making good progress – despite battling wind, snow and rain.

Matt Loughrey, of St Mary's Island, hopes to travel coast to coast from San Diego to Florida in just 21 days. He is cycling around 10 hours a day – with only his wife Caroline in a support vehicle alongside him.

The couple set off on Sunday and hope to reach St Augustine by Sunday, April 8.

Matt, 47, faced snow and freezing temperatures on the first leg of his journey, and was delayed by several hours when a road was shut due to snow in Pine Valley on Monday.

Matt has now reached the desert where temperatures have soared. Yesterday he rode 140 miles from Brawley, California, to Salome in Arizona.

He said: “On paper it looked quite straight forward, however on the ground turned out to be very punishing. The ride started through the sand dunes with a head wind I knew then it was going to be a long day but worse was to follow the road was like a roller coaster of painful little climbs through arid desert scrub.”

Matt hopes to raise £25,000 for CLIC Sargent, which will bring the family’s fundraising total to £100,000. He is cycling in memory of his daughter Emily, nicknamed Embo, who died of cancer in 2007, aged 22.

To donate, text CLIC05 and the amount you want to give (with a £ sign) to 70070, send a cheque made payable to CLIC Sargent, with Embo written on the back, to Dan Powell, The Mallings, 112, Malling Street, Lewes, East Sussex, BN7 2RJ, or visit www.justgiving.com/mattloughrey

For more updates, follow Matt's blog here.