Echoing the fictional Phileas Fogg, who circumnavigated the world in 80 days, the foursome will take a bit longer - 100 days.

Miles Hilton-Barber, 54, who is blind and from Derby, will drive a Formula One racing car while Mike Mackenzie, 52, a double leg amputee from Oxford will scuba dive.

They will be joined by 30-year-old blind fund-raiser Caroline Casey of Dublin and Belfast-born Robin Dunseath, 62, who now lives in Edinburgh and is adventure leader.

Gobi Desert

Like the character from the Jules Verne novel, they will set off from London's Reform Club on 2 September and travel through Europe, Africa, Asia and America on their trek.

They hope to complete the trip in 100 days, arriving back in London for the International Day for Disability on 3 December.

Some of the '80 ways'

Tuc tuc Puffer boat Dumper truck Chipmunk plane Tractor Elephant Falkirk wheel Jet fighter Dragon boat Steam train Ox cart

Mr Hilton-Barber has run a 250-kilometre race in the Sahara Desert with his carer and guide Jonathan Cook.

He completed another marathon in China with his son David, crossing the Gobi Desert, parts of the Tibetan highlands and the Great Wall.

He attempted to haul a sled to the South Pole, also with Mr Cook, but had to drop out after getting frostbite.

This trek will include abseiling in Hong Kong, a tandem skydive in Las Vegas and a trip on a bullet train and a Chinese junk in Japan.

"The driving force behind this trip is to have people to look at their circumstances as a challenge not a handicap," Mr Hilton-Barber said.

Ostrich ride

"It is to show people that you can still have an adventure in your life by changing your attitude, not your circumstances."

He said Mr Mackenzie, who is paralyzed from the chest down, is willing to ride an ostrich, but says he may need a lot of Velcro to keep him on.

"People with disabilities have to look at the lighter side of life," he said, adding that some carers tend to mollycoddle the people that they work with.

'Deserving charities'

Miss Casey, founder of the Dublin-based Aisling Foundation, raised �250,000 when she trekked 1,000 kilometres across India on an elephant in 2001.

The money raised from the trip will go to various charities, including the Royal National Institute for the Blind, but 85% will be used for local causes.

Mr Dunseath said: "We plan to have fun, inspire people to live their lives to its fullest potential and hopefully raise money for deserving charities along the way."