Coffee First, Then the World: One Woman's Record-Breaking Pedal Around the Planet

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I started with a volunteering “job” at the outdoor education response team – a lottery funded project under the umbrella of the Highland Council’s Outdoor Education Department. The remit was to work with young people who were maybe displaying challenging behaviours or were “At Risk” (of exclusion, harm, etc). With the support of friends and mentors, Ron Woodward & Andy Clarke, I learned the ropes. I found working with young people came naturally to me and engaging with them became even more fulfilling than the sports themselves. I was a relative late-comer to the world of outdoor sports but the adventurous aspect of these pursuits came naturally to me – probably programmed into the DNA of all of us in the far north. I work alongside Pennie Latin from Adventurous Audio chatting about my Round the World adventures from my audio diaries and interviews. I could go at my own pace and make my own plans as I went. Quite often, I’d just decide to have another coffee – and then get going, just like the book title says.” I wasn’t born into a particularly sporty family, but my childhood was full of outdoor adventures. Building dens, swimming in the sea and riding bikes – everywhere.

I feel very at home at mountain festivals, adventure panels and organisational training days across the country either in person or online I will deliver a professional, engaging and meaningful event. a b "Scottish cyclist Jenny Graham aiming to set new round the world record". road.cc. 7 June 2018 . Retrieved 4 September 2018. It's almost five years since Jenny Graham pedalled her Shand Stooshie away from the Brandenburg Gate in Germany to attempt a record-breaking, self-supported round-the-world ride. While it was possible to dot watch and keep updated with her progress at the time via communications from CyclingUK and the Adventure Syndicate, we've had to wait until now to read Jenny's own personal account of her adventure. Having read Coffee First, Then The World, I'd say it was worth waiting for. It launches next week and Jenny is also doing a book tour, starting on 12th April, with talks (and rides) happening at various locations across the UK. Jenny has also been part of several cycling projects, such as one for Sustrans. Credit; Andy McCandlish The highs and lows of a round-world rideTo celebrate Bike Week, today (Monday 10 June) Guinness World Records, the global authority on record breaking achievements announced Jenny Graham’s record for the Fastest Circumnavigation by Bicycle (female). Her inspiring story swerves from terrifying near collisions on the Russian roads and weather extremes in the southern hemisphere to the beauty of the Mongolian landscape and exhilarating wildlife encounters in North America.

However, there were times when Jenny admits she would have enjoyed the motivating drive of someone else. She says: “You have to learn to manage yourself. There is no one motivating you, no one to get you out of your bad mood and no one to put you in a good mood. There is also no one to blame for anything. You have to figure out your own rollercoaster of emotions and to watch for your natural highs and lows. It was while riding locally during the coronavirus pandemic that the Adventure Syndicate’s latest project was born, which Jenny tells me excitedly about. Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it? This made me think a lot about how grateful I should be for the life I have in Scotland. Although I am not particularly financially wealthy in my culture, I have wealth in terms of freedom to make my own choices and to travel. She said: “I’d hold my breath as they hammered past me, just millimetres from my arm. I’d even pass some [lorries] that hadn’t been able to hold their speed and overturned.

She boldly went into the record books

For me, though, it’s not just about discovery in the outside world. I’m drawn to the physical and mental challenges that take me to the realms of self-discovery, and often discomfort. It’s the place where I have come to feel the most connected to myself. Without trying to sound too much like a teacher, I'd say, as with most presentations about books, try to read the book before you go to the talk (if you plan to); you'll get so much more out of it. I soon released that outdoor sport should become central to my life – signing up to that course was a pivotal moment for me. It completely changed the trajectory of my life and my worldview was burst wide open with new possibilities.

Global Cycling Network is the home for many of my adventures. The can be found on GCN+ subscription channel. Amongst my favourite is – Eastbound, Trailblazers, Road to Peace and The Hebrides’ I started my own family young, having my wonderful son Lachlan when I was just 18 and the outdoor adventures continued in the same vein throughout my early 20’s. Camping every summer, beach days and endless picnics. I grew up in the best adventure playground ever – the Scottish Highlands – cementing a deep-rooted love of the outdoors and mountainous environments. Videos In the build-up, she may have stared at the ceiling with her brow furrowed and her chest so heavy that “it felt like it was physically pinning me to the mattress”.

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Unsurprisingly, there were positives and negatives of a solo challenge. While Jenny, who had her only child, Lachlan, at the age of 18, is chatty and gregarious, she reveals she likes being on her own. With infectious wit and honesty, Jenny recounts her friendships with strangers and the myriad different cultures she comes across that gave her a new perspective on the world. I’ve had great opportunities throughout my life, such as training in outdoor education and rewarding work supporting disadvantaged children. As an example, there is a fairly lengthy first chapter entitled “preparation”. Jenny says: “Preparing for the ride was hard. It was harder in some ways for me to get to the start line than it was to reach the finish line. She says: “I do like riding with other people but for the round-the-world cycle it was easier to be doing my own thing. It meant there were fewer stresses and pressures of riding with others.

The account of Jenny’s privations is brilliantly conveyed. People who imagine that these assignments are in any way romantic should take a bite from a reality sandwich. Then, from her first pedal stroke on June 16, 2018, leaving the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin behind, Jenny felt the freedom of “being able to simply ride my bike”. In 2018, over the course of 18,000 miles, I gained the round-the-world cycling record by taking 20 days off the previous time. Finishing in 124 days and 11 hours. I left family and friends behind to complete my solo, unsupported lap of the planet by bike.

That course changed my life

It’s changed my life dramatically. On a personal level, I see things as much more manageable, and myself as much more capable. Her open, frank and witty revelations of the ride also brought her new opportunities, such as guest speaking, delivering corporate talks, podcasting and becoming the presenter of a cycling documentary channel. Global Cycling Network documentary channel ( GCN+) Where I work with an awesome team as a Docs Presenter. She continues: “The writing has totally pushed me out of my comfort zone. The thing is, I don’t consider myself to be very academic and I while I enjoyed school I struggled with the learning side.