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Woman prepares for Antarctica cycling recordStill from Breaking the Cycle Greenland by Claudio von Planta

Woman prepares for Antarctica cycling record

Dr. Kate Leeming cycled 400km across freezing Greenland in preparation for her attempt to become the first person to cycle across the South Pole
by Laura Laker
Mon, May 16, 2016 15:44
9

A woman who plans to cycle across the Antarctic is one step closer to her goal after completing a gruelling 400km “training run” in freezing Greenland.

Expedition Cyclist, Dr. Kate Leeming announced yesterday her safe return from the expedition, having set off in the first week of May. Leeming hopes to become the first person to successfully cross the South Pole by bike, something others have attempted but so far failed to achieve. 

In a video teaser, by Claudio von Planta, Leeming can be seen riding the world’s first all-wheel drive fat bike, testing both herself and her equipment in freezing conditions ahead of the Antarctic challenge.​

She says: “I wanted to make this trip through Greenland a really good physical test to really prepare myself for Antarctica but also I want to understand how much my body will take.”

Australian Leeming is wearing custom-designed clothing and boots which, along with the bike, made by Steve Christini, are designed to withstand the extreme weather conditions, which can be seen in the blizzard she and her film makers encountered in Greenland.

She said: “Several people have tried to cycle to the South Pole, no-one has yet succeeded. This bike, I believe, will give me the opportunity to succeed and be the first person to cycle to the South Pole."

This is the latest in Leeming’s Breaking the Cycle series and she hopes to raise money and awareness of issues around poverty, following her previous first-hand experiences from expeditions in Africa.

Through her foundation, which is in development, she will raise funds for initiatives to tackle poverty and community development.

 Britain's Maria Leijerstram becomes first person to cycle to South Pole

In 2013 Great Britain’s Maria Leijerstram became the first person to cycle to the South Pole, riding a recumbent fat trike 400 miles to her destination. Like Leeming, Leijerstram’s expedition was years in the making.

 

Dr. Kate Leeming
South Pole
fat bike
Laura Laker

Laura Laker is a freelance journalist with more than a decade’s experience covering cycling, walking and wheeling (and other means of transport). Beginning her career with road.cc, Laura has also written for national and specialist titles of all stripes. One part of the popular Streets Ahead podcast, she sometimes appears as a talking head on TV and radio, and in real life at conferences and festivals. She is also the author of Potholes and Pavements: a Bumpy Ride on Britain’s National Cycle Network.

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9 comments

Avatar
brooksby | 8 years ago
0 likes

Didn't they do this on Blue Peter?

Avatar
davel | 8 years ago
0 likes

Wolfie - I agree - apart from on voluntourism. The favelas and villages have hands of their own and probably don't need entitled, clueless 19 year-olds to show them what a paintbrush is.

Help out at a shelter, soup kitchen or food bank... down the road.

Avatar
WolfieSmith | 8 years ago
1 like

Zzzzzzzzz. I know it's meant to be the sort of inspirational adventurous thing that humans do and encourage us to give to charity but soooo many people are doing this kind of schtick.

If you want to tackle poverty go do that - go employ some people in a Rio favela who don't have Olympic tickets or go dig a well with your bare hands in some fly blown African village. 

Doing something strenuous and 'epic' with some expensive rescue squad on standby to pluck you out of trouble isn't inspiring at all. 

I can can imagine the prickly replies to this and yes I do my bit for charity. I've been donating to Barnados for 20 years and if someone wanted me to give up my weekends to 'fight poverty' I'd be happy to help - as long as I could do it quietly. Cycle across Antarctica and make a few bob afterwards from corporate speaking? Not for me. 

 

 

 

Avatar
severs1966 | 8 years ago
1 like

In this article:

 

"Several people have tried to cycle to the South Pole, no-one has yet succeeded"

"In 2013 Great Britain’s Maria Leijerstram became the first person to cycle to the South Pole"

Which is it?

Avatar
cycleofaddiction | 8 years ago
0 likes

Several people have cycled to the South Pole already...this is a link to the blog of one http://epicsouthpole.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1

Avatar
Ush | 8 years ago
0 likes

Good luck to her. But, my word!  The noise off that thing.  It sounds like a coffee grinder.

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tritecommentbot | 8 years ago
0 likes

Everyone's doing epic rides recently.

 

Need to step up my game, maybe do a 5km beer run this weekend. GL Kate, fingers crossed there's no mechanical set backs 

Avatar
fenix | 8 years ago
0 likes

Can I make a joke about women being useless at navigation ?

 

North/South Pole - does it matter ?

 

Good luck to the explorer. 

Avatar
handlebarcam | 8 years ago
6 likes
Quote:

Woman prepares for Antarctica cycling record

Dr. Kate Leeming cycled 400km across freezing Greenland in preparation for her attempt to become the first person to cycle across the North Pole

It certainly would be an achievement to cycle across the North Pole in Antarctica.

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