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

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Jenny Graham is a Scottish endurance cyclist. In 2018 she became the fastest woman to cycle around the world unsupported. 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. Outdoor Education then employed me as a full-time member of staff where I worked alongside Ron Woodward for a year or so. The long hours were difficult to juggle with Lachlan at home though. It took me a really long time to process it and to feel the emotion of the achievement. Two years on I watch it and I get quite overwhelmed

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. 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. Achieving record would mean the world to cyclist Jenny". www.inverness-courier.co.uk . Retrieved 4 September 2018.In Alaska, on another highway, the threat of bears saw her ringing a bell, playing music out loud and singing as she cycled. “I was quite the picture, riding along that lonely highway,” she says, laughing again. It was while riding locally during the coronavirus pandemic that the Adventure Syndicate’s latest project was born, which Jenny tells me excitedly about. 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. On Thursday the 18th of October 2018, Jenny Graham made history by becoming the fastest woman to circumnavigate the world by bike. She started in Berlin on the 16th of June 2018 and returned 124 days and 29,656km later, beating the previous record by 20 days. When I set off this time last year, I wasn’t sure what lay ahead, but the journey was awe-inspiring, exhausting and ultimately life-changing. I’d encourage anyone to get out on their bike and discover they are capable of far more than they think they are.

Most long-distance cyclists, particularly those straying off-road or to remote places, carry a small emergency medical kit – but Jenny’s puts them to shame. Jenny rode with a big enough supply of bandages, painkillers and antibiotics to deal with any aches, pains and saddle sores without losing time finding doctors or pharmacies. While we don’t recommend riding through pain or injury, record-breaking rides require a great deal of grit and determination and keeping comfortable means covering more ground. 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”.It is almost exactly a year to the date since Jenny set off in Bike Week 2018, she completed her journey in just 124 days, 11 hours, surpassing the previous record set by Paola Gianotti, Italy, by nearly three weeks. In writing the book, which many friends had encouraged her to do, Jenny has had the opportunity to give a more in-depth account of her journey. But if there were any reservations over her stamina, resolve, technique, temperament or sheer bloody-mindedness, these were dispelled once the Inverness woman embarked on her quest.