When Dapo Met His Lens

Years ago, in a small part of Lagos, Nigeria, little Dapo was captivated by his father's work as a photographer for a popular magazine. His dad's images and souvenirs from across Nigeria sparked a curiosity that would shape his future.

"I felt it was just really cool. As a child, I wanted to do a lot more." Dapo recalls. His first taste of travel came on school excursions, but a visit to Erin-Ijesha Waterfalls in Osun State cemented his love for storytelling.

"I was just like, what's this place? And I'd like to document it. If I can preserve this feeling in a way."

Armed with a basic phone camera, he started capturing moments, leading to years of honing his craft, upgrading his gear, and landing internships.

Dapo's journey has seen him work as a creative strategist at some of the biggest companies in Nigeria and the United Kingdom; his true passion, however, is travel.

When asked why he moved to the UK, he said, "I wanted to have a passport to the world, not just the UK passport, because it's easier to get visas to other parts of the world from the UK than Nigeria. I also felt I could be doing much more than what I was doing."

Fittingly, his love for adventure and filmmaking fueled the London-to-Paris ride—not just as a cyclist but also as the storyteller behind the documentary coming out in May of 2025 that will share their inspiring adventure with the world.

Before The Bike Ride

What do men talk about when they get together? Women, money, or... cycling from London to Paris? For these four friends, the answer is obvious.

"We're just crazy people who want to do crazy stuff," Dapo said. So when Allen casually mentioned wanting to visit Paris, the idea escalated. "I have a road bike. He has a road bike, and I have a few friends who have road bikes. So I spoke to another friend about it, and he said it wouldn't be bad to cycle from London to Paris just for fun."

But what started as a wild adventure took on a more profound meaning. Three of them were connected to people with sickle cell disease, so they saw an opportunity to raise awareness and funds.

"A friend that I grew up with is a sickle cell warrior. The experience growing up wasn't fun. When you see people going through pain and it feels like you could feel the pain for them, and it's the kind where you can't just use painkillers, and it goes away. It comes back again, again and again for the rest of your life." Dapo shared.

They turned to X (formerly Twitter) for foundation recommendations and chose the Ntetee Foundation and TEP Foundation. They aimed to raise £2,000 by cycling 400 km from London to Paris over three days.

At first, people, especially Nigerians, were sceptical. But they weren't discouraged, and Dapo even presented the idea to his co-workers. With sickle cell being more common in Africa than in other parts of the world, it was a great way to create awareness and educate his colleagues of different ethnic backgrounds about it.

Because their idea was initially largely met with scepticism, donations trickled in slowly. However, once they hit the road, donations surged past their target, surprising even them.

"We raised a whole lot of money. I even told people, "Yeah, yeah, it's fine. It's fine. You can stop, But people kept donating even after we came back," Dapo explained.

Cycling from London to Paris.

"We were not trained for that journey, and… that was a big mistake."
On August 1st, 2024, four friends, little on preparation but big on determination, gathered at the London Eye to begin a three-day cycling adventure to the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Oh, what a ride it was.

Day 1 – London to Newhaven

If there's one lesson they learned early on, it is this: pack light. Balancing their weight and belongings on sleek road bikes quickly proved challenging. But despite a few adjustments and an early flat tyre, the first stretch was relatively smooth—until they hit Turners Hill.

"It's a crazy hill. I started feeling cramps in my leg, and I'm very cramp-prone. Just imagine going up a hill that's a crazy degree of incline," Dapo said.

Reaching the top was a relief, but it wasn't the end of the struggle. The route was one hill after another, with impatient drivers on London's end of the Avenue Verte path adding to the stress. But the most immense pressure was making it to Newhaven before the ferry or risk missing the three-day mark.

We had to get there before the ferry left because if we miss that ferry, there's no other ferry going to Dieppe. So that was part of the stress.

They pushed through, exhausted but determined, and arrived at Newhaven with just an hour to spare. After passport control and bag checks, they boarded the ferry for the four-hour journey to Dieppe, France.

Landing in France, they still had one last task for the night: cycling to their Airbnb in the dark, with only a bike light to guide them. By the time they arrived, they were drained.

Day one was over—two more to go.

Day 2 – Dieppe to Gisors

After conquering the hills on day one, day two brought flatter terrain—a welcome relief, or so they thought. At first, the smooth roads gave their aching legs a break, making the ride feel easier. But soon enough, they realised that cycling on flat ground wasn't as effortless as it seemed.

"Cycling on flats is wilder, in my opinion, than cycling in a hilly place because you're cycling on flats for a long time, and you can't stop pedalling. If you stop pedalling, the bike stops at some point. So you rest maybe 3 seconds, and you start pedalling again." Dapo shared.

With 60km of relentless pedalling ahead, they turned to the beauty of the Avenue Verte—a scenic route through the French countryside—to keep their minds occupied. Conversations flowed (Still, what do 4 men talk about?), and the ride became an unexpected bonding experience.

But the smooth ride hit a snag in Chaussy, where a quick one-hour break stretched into two over a hearty Mediterranean meal. No big deal, right? They still had plenty of time to reach their hotel in Gisors.

Then came the phone call.

The hotel's reception was closing at 5:00 p.m., and they had until 7:00 p.m. at the latest to check-in. Panic set in. Grabbing their bikes, they hit the road, only to be met with a 3km uphill stretch. Not exactly what they needed to beat the clock.

Before long, Dapo cramped up again. Instead of pushing through this time, he took a much-needed break while the others rode ahead. Once he recovered, he caught up with the team, and somehow, they made it to Gisors just in time.

But the day's challenges weren't over.

Exhausted and starving, they set out to find food. However, they discovered that most restaurants had already closed, a small-town reality they hadn't considered. In Dapo's words, their only option was "really bad burgers".

A harsh realisation hit them as they ate: at the pace they were cycling, there was no way they could cover the final 120km to Paris in time for their 3:00 p.m. train home. A new plan was needed.

They made a tough call. Instead of setting out at 7:00 a.m., they'd leave at 5:00 a.m. To make that work, they'd have to be up by 3:30 a.m., which was already 11:30 p.m. In a nutshell, they wouldn't be getting much sleep.

One more day to go.

Day 3 – Gisor to Paris

"We woke up angry and sleepy."
With barely three hours of sleep, who wouldn't be? But with Paris just kilometres away, there was no turning back now.

Picture this: cycling through a dense forest in the eerie silence of the early morning, the only light source coming from your bike. It was just them, the road, and the fog for three long hours. There were no signs of life, just the rhythmic sound of their tyres against the ground. Finally, they reached a small village, where they stopped for a much-needed break.

Still exhausted from the days before and lacking sleep, they pedalled on, fortunate enough to find a shorter route to reduce the number of kilometres left. Soon, the destination was much closer.

"And because we knew we were close to Paris, I think the energy just really came back," Dapo recalled.

With renewed energy, they pushed forward, powering through the dreaded hills and unexpected roadblocks—courtesy of a cyclist Olympics happening simultaneously. But none of it mattered. Not the fatigue, not the aching muscles. Because then, at the top of a hill, they saw it.

The Eiffel Tower.

"That feeling was everything. We cried that day." The last 30 kilometres became a sprint to the finish. They made it just in time. Mission accomplished. The fundraising target? Surpassed. History was made.

What Came Next

Completing a journey like this can make you feel good about yourself and your capabilities. We asked Dapo what felt most rewarding about cycling from London to Paris, and he didn't hesitate to say the pride of setting a goal and smashing it, the joy of making a real impact, and the unbreakable bond formed with "three crazy guys" who pedalled beside him.

Grateful for every ounce of support, he and his friends kept things transparent. Dapo broke it all down in a detailed thread on X (formerly Twitter) to show how much was raised and where it went.

A Bit More On The Cyclists

For Dapo, travel is about experiencing life in a way that satisfies his creativity and sense of adventure. Over the last decade, he has explored over 20 countries, with Cape Town, Mauritius, Portugal, and Sweden standing out as personal favourites.

"Cape Town has to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world," he says. "I don't know how to describe Mauritius. It is a really, really beautiful island. And then there's Sweden; I think I fell in love with art even more when I went to Sweden because everything they do is art. Even train stations feel like art exhibitions."

That love for adventure greatly influenced his decision to cycle from London to Paris. A visual storyteller and travel junkie, he captures moments from his trips on his youtube channel.

His friend and fellow cyclist Allen shares the same passion for exploring and telling stories — though he's more lens-in-hand than camera-on-tripod. A photographer by heart and a founder by day, Allen spends his quieter moments reading or spinning one of the many records in his ever-growing collection.

Ibrahim, the third member of the crew, is a simple man. A digital marketing manager with a soft spot for routine, he balances his work life with long runs and catch-ups with friends.

Different as they may be, these friends found a common rhythm and together, pulled off something unforgettable. Though they've taken a break from long-distance rides for now, Dapo hints that they aren't done yet.

"We've talked about flying to Spain and cycling through it. I haven't touched my bike much since the Paris trip, but we try to do one cycling session every month. Hopefully, we'll make Spain happen."

Advice from our Cyclists

Dapo shares some wise words on lessons they learned from the experience and advises others looking to do something similar.

• Your Mind is Your Strongest Muscle: "Your body will go if your mind is willing to go." You're capable of much more than you think. The key is training your mind to push forward, even when your body wants to stop.
• Just Do It. Don’t Overthink it: Whether moving to a new country, taking on a big project, or attempting a crazy challenge, don't let fear hold you back. "If you fail, you fail."
• Plan, But Be Ready to Adapt: Having a plan is great, but things won't always go as expected. When that happens, adjust and keep moving. "If the plan doesn't work, modify it. Just don't stop."
• Giving Back is Easier Than You Think: Find a cause that matters to you and start small. Platforms exist to help raise funds, and social media can amplify your impact.
• Rest, but Don’t Quit: Challenges will push you to your limits, but recovery is part of the process.

At the end of the day, these four men taught a huge lesson: As Allen put it, your body is fine; you just need to tell your mind that you can do it. We look forward to more gusty escapades from these friends.