Guinness World Record Attempt
Twenty-four year old Phil White, who graduated last year with a 2:1 in Business Administration from the University of Bath School of Management, is currently battling against the elements, cycling through forest, desert, mountains, rainforest and urban jungle in his bid to raise money for Oxfam. Phil hopes to set an official Guinness World Record by completing the feat of cycling around the world for a minimum required distance of 18,000 miles (28,968km) in the fastest time ever.
Phil's epic journey began on 19 June when he departed Trafalgar Square, London amongst the cheers of supporting friends, family, well-wishers, and a TV crew. Six months later (over 180 days) Phil is now in Melbourne, Australia and has covered a massive 17,396km which relates to an unbelievable 795 hours spent on a bike! Phil’s record for the greatest distance travelled in one day is an incredible 249.63km.
Phil’s adventure has already taken him through fifteen countries: France, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Java, and Australia. Each country has provided its own perils both mental and physical. Extreme heat, frequent downpours, strong winds, unsanitary conditions, challenging mountainous terrain, enormous distances between settlements, and even bandits have tested Phil to the very limit of his endurance.
Travelling through Bulgaria in July, Phil battled with sickness, extremely challenging terrain and strong winds. His log describes the experience:
"I ate a stodgy omelette for breakfast and very soon afterwards had diarrhea - I had a stomach ache all day and felt not at all well. This is the background to today's disaster.
I was running on empty from the start - I tried to ignore the lack of energy for the first 50kms, but it soon became clear that something was very wrong…Things went from bad to worse as my legs began to stop following instructions. It got to the stage where I was doing 5km stretches, then collapsing for rest by the roadside - all of this was up and down mountainous terrain with a strong headwind. I literally had nothing left to give.
Just when things couldn’t get any worse, it began to rain, then it really started to pour. At one stage, a passing car flung a solid wall of water into me, almost knocking me off the road. I arrived at Malko Tarnovo, 9kms from the border at around 6pm. I found a hotel - for the huge price of 2 pounds - and found a sanctuary in which to recover. As I was recounting my tale of woe to the camera, I actually broke down in tears - I haven't done so for a long time - I was completely and utterly at the end of my tether. It’s been a day of constant, unremitting hell".
Cycling through Iran in August proved yet another particularly difficult time as Phil battled with both extreme heat and the threat of bandits:
"The last four days have been a rollercoaster ride. On day one, I made the mistake of starting too late and had to cycle through the heat - you cannot imagine the unbearable strain of cycling in such temperatures (I have no way of knowing, but it must have been over 45 degrees). I was also dogged for 20km by a couple of bandits on a motorbike. .. The incident left me depressed and worried - this area was supposed to be safe. I’m caught between a rock and a hard place. If I cycle late, I'll be destroyed by the sun, if I cycle too early, I could be attacked by bandits".
Now almost half way through his epic adventure, Phil is finding new challenges in Australia, mainly as a result of its sheer size:
"The distance between settlements can be anything up to 200km - no kidding! I say 'settlements' because by the time I get to the next dot on the map, marked as a town, it could literally take the form of a gas station, and a few surrounding houses - and nothing else...In between, there is NOTHING but road, and the occasional vehicle".
After crossing Australia, Phil’s journey will take him to New Zealand, North America, Central America, Spain and then finally back to the UK. The final part of the journey will of course be subject to distance requirements, and may change depending on how far he has cycled.
Commenting on why he chose to raise money for Oxfam, Phil explains:
"I decided that I was going to cycle in aid of Oxfam because I believe that Oxfam, and similar charities, play an absolutely vital role in today’s world. Globalisation is supposed to bring increased prosperity to everyone, but it seems that only a very small percentage are actually benefiting. Oxfam plays the dual role of carer and campaigner so that tomorrow’s children might grow up in a more equal world. Without charities like Oxfam, who would be there to protect and support the vulnerable"?
Phil has been through thick and thin on his world cycle, but there have been many special moments along the way which make it all worthwhile.
"Whenever I’m going through difficulties, it helps to think back on the good times and I’m reminded of how lucky I am: Elephants in the streets in India, feeding wild monkeys by the side of the road, dozens of perfect sunsets and sunrises. There are some things that money can’t buy".
Further information about Phil’s cycling adventure including detailed logs, photos and video clips can be found on his website, www.worldcycle.co.uk. Donations to Oxfam can also be made via his site.
20 December 2004
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