The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
Scot breaks world record by riding round the globe
Children’s worker is fastest woman to circumnavigate planet
An Inverness woman has pedalled her way into the record books. Jenny Graham has become the fastest woman to circumnavigate the globe on her bike.
Whether negotiating sub-zero temperatures in Australia, the risk of bear attack in Canada or dangerously close encounters with lorries on the Trans-Siberian Highway, the 38-year-old was determined nothing would stop her mission. Ms Graham, a children’s support worker in the north of Scotland, surged to her remarkable exploit, knocking almost three weeks off the record of 144 days set by Italy’s Paola Gianotti in 2014.
She cycled 15 hours a day, sometimes riding at night when the roads were quieter, and managed an average of 156 miles a day, maintaining an average speed of 13mph for around 12 hours.
The 18,000-mile route took her across four continents and 16 countries as she travelled from Germany to Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Mongolia and China.
She then flew on to Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US as the prelude to returning to Europe and finishing via Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.
She was met by a crowd of jubilant supporters at the Brandenburg Gate and those who saluted her feat included her 20-year-old son, Lachlan.
Ms Graham said: “I just set out to see how far I could go. The furthest I’ve cycled before was Land’s End to John o’ Groats, but now I have cycled right around the world.
“It has sometimes been tough, but I thrive on challenges on the road and of course it has also been so amazing.
“I knew I wanted to do something solo to test my physical and mental ability.
“I am the fittest I have ever been, so I thought I’d train hard and give it a go – and now here I am back in Berlin, I can hardly believe it.”
Her entire journey was tracked by GPS, with thousands of supporters checking the live stream to see how far she had advanced.
In order to make her achievement official, Guinness World Records will need to ratify the data.
Assuming this will be confirmed, both the male and female round-theworld cycling records will be held by Scots.
Mark Beaumont, who holds the men’s record at 78 days with a support team, praised his compatriot.
“It is phenomenal riding and Jenny went all the way with a smile, with a cheer, with a sense of humility and the excitement of the unknown around the corner,” he said.