A DEVOTED grandfather took up the challenge of a lifetime to give his newborn granddaughter a memory "she will never forget".

Konrad Mazur, a lawyer from Poland, cycled more than 1700km from his homeland to Southampton to greet two-week-old Aurora Ana Limaj after being urged to go on the unforgettable journey by his pals.

The 51-year-old braved the elements as he cycled for up to 200km a day, while also camping out overnight before jumping back on his bike.

Cycling through countries such as Germany, Croatia and France, the father-of-three finally completed the trip within 13 days and got a special welcome from his family, including daughter Veronica Mazur, and granddaughter.

Mr Mazur, who was joined on the trip by his friend Janusz, said: "When I heard the news that my first granddaughter would be born back in October, I knew inside, I had to celebrate her birth in a big style.

"I though what a better way of doing it than by doing something incredible only a few could do.

"It was extremely difficult and now looking back I didn’t realise how dangerous the trip could have been due to weather and safety - half-way through I thought about giving up.

"Although I was extremely exhausted, when I saw Aurora for the first time I knew it was all worth it and couldn’t stop the tears as it was a special moment."

Son-in-law Max Limaj added: "It's a huge achievement for him and we're all really proud of him.

"Not a lot of people would do something like this for their family, but he is physically and mentally strong.

"This is something that my daughter and family will never forget and is something Aurora will forever remember him by."