'It's just something I have to do' - Inspiring story of man completing 200km using hand cycle - 1News

Andy is a tetraplegic toughing it out on his hand cycle to raise money for the Auckland Rescue Helicopter Trust.

After putting in the hard yards on practice runs, Andy started descending his "mountain" at the weekend.

He was completing the Tairua to Whitianga sub-race of the annual K2 Cycling Classic - a 200 kilometre lap of the Coromandel Peninsula.

"No I have nothing to prove to myself, it's just something I have to do and I'm doing it," Andy says.

"If I am not knackered it means I haven't pushed myself hard enough."

Andy's coach and friend Karl Fischer spoke on what drove him to undertake the ride.

"His family, community, all the good things in life you know, it's really quite cool," Karl says.

And it was, unsurprisingly, an emotional crowd that met Andy at the finish line when he made it.

"I achieved it today, I can achieve anything," Andy says.