Some people run marathons, others climb mountains. Some men dream dreams. Others live their dreams. Mark Beaumont cycled around the world. In doing so, he lived his dream. Anyone who circumnavigates the world by bicycle in 194 days 17 hours (a total of 18,296) has a story to tell. And Beumont tells his story well. The Scottish adventurer recounts his long distance ride in his book, The Man Who Cycled the World.
Beumont holds the Guinness Book World record. In fact, he demolished the record by a breathtaking 81 days. His journey took place in a series of seven legs:
Leg 1: Paris to Istanbul
Leg: 2 Istanbul to Calcutta
Leg 3: Bangkok to Singapore
Leg 4: Perth to Brisbane
Leg 5: Dunedin to Auckland
Leg 6: San Francisco to St. Augustine
Leg 7: Lisbon to Paris
Beumont tells the story in rich detail. His adventure includes new friends, enemies, car crashes, racism, cultural adjustment, rich food, horrible food to boot. His story is an inspiration to athletes and a rebuke to lazy Americans who can barely drag themselves from their vehicles to walk 100 feet to the front door of WalMart. It is a riveting tale of courage and perseverance; one that celebrates the tenacity of the human spirit.
