Burrows, a Jetstar engineer at Newcastle Airport, and colleagues entered a team in this year's Great Cycle Challenge.

From Nelson Bay, Burrows hopes to individually cycle 1000 kilometres and raise $1000, which he is now close to achieving.

The team, Jetstar NTL Engineers, has already exceeded their combined goal of raising $4000 by the end of the challenge, which wraps on October 31.

From a young age Burrows, originally from the United Kingdom, was part of a cycling club and enjoyed the sport on a competitive level until he was 18.

As it does, life got in the way and cycling fell to the wayside.

In 2011, Burrows and his family immigrated to Australia. The move to Nelson Bay gave Burrows a chance to rekindle his passion for cycling.

But just when he thought about getting back into competitive cycling, he was involved in a head-on car collision along Nelson Bay Road in April 2012, which left him in John Hunter Hospital for a month.

"I was discharged just in time to celebrate my first anniversary of my arrival in Australia," Burrows said.

"The accident left me with a major injury to my left knee, but it could have been a lot worse.

"Since the accident, being a keen sportsman, I have put a great effort into my rehabilitation, to see just how good I can get my body."

Cycling helps Burrows strengthen his left leg, which while painful in the beginning, has helped him get more range of motion out of the damaged knee.

To donate to Burrows' Great Cycle Challenge campaign head to greatcyclechallenge.com.au/Riders/NigelBurrows.