5 Mins With : Mark Beaumont

Interviewed by Nathan Clarke

Dreams – not in the ‘what did I dream about last night?’ sense – are those subconscious ideas that form in our heads. The ideas we use to provide comfort during a bad day when, for a split second, we contemplate leaving it all behind, quitting our jobs and trading our mundane existence for the quest of adventure and excitement.

While we all have them, most of us realise they are indulgent fantasies used to provide a brief escape from themonotony of daily life. In fact, most of us would accept that they will never become reality, that’s why they’re called dreams after all.

However, some people refuse to stand by that theory and, while we envy them, these people inspire us to continue dreaming and give us the belief that we could, one day, turn them into reality.

Mark Beaumont is one such man who inspires others as he continues to turn his dreams into reality.

Mark holds the World Record for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle, having completed the extraordinary 18,000 mile journey in 194 days, 17 hours. Whilst taking on this challenge, Mark documented the whole journey for a BBC series called ‘The man who cycled the world’ and he has also published a book of the same title.

Many of us view such an awe-inspiring feat as superhuman or just plain crazy as we struggle to even contemplate the physical and mental exertions undertaken on such adventures, Mark thrives on them and his insatiable appetite for adventure drove him to find a new extreme physical challenge.

He is currently immersed in another epic journey as he travels from Anchorage, Alaska to Ushuaia in southern Argentina – across the longest mountain range on the planet – the American Cordillera.

“The reason I’m doing these things is because they’re my dreams” said Beaumont. “It’s not like somebody else is making me be here. They’re my dreams so there’s a very personal motivation – I think if I was doing it for anyone other than myself then it could be a very lonely place but these are things which I want to do so I’ve always got that fire in my belly.”

Fire and determination are traits that Scottish born Beaumont appears to have had in abundance ever since he got his first real taste of adventure the world had to offer and fell in love with the freedom afforded by two wheeled travel.

“I’ve cycled all my life. I grew up on a farm in the Highlands of Scotland, which was perfect for riding at an early age. But in terms of adventure riding, I was 12 years old when I decided to cycle across Scotland and I went on to cycle solo John O’Groats to Land’s End when I was 15. I guess the trips just got bigger and bigger from there” he said.

“It was just one adventure at a time. I would go on a trip and I would love it and then at some point I would dream up the next one. The thing about bikes is you just see so much more and you can travel so much further than any other way. I think that’s always just inspired me to get out there and ride bigger and bigger distances”

Despite his obvious long distance cycling pedigree, Beaumont has never considered himself to be a ‘cyclist,’ nor was it his burning ambition to become a famous name within the cycling world, rather it was a mix of brash confidence combined with natural ability that resulted in his success.

“Because I started so young, I wasn’t really analysing what it was I enjoyed about it. I never actually thought of myself much of a cyclist. There’s never been a grand plan; it’s only since university that I decided to take it to a new level. After graduating, naively, I literally walked into the BBC and said ‘Look I’m off to cycle round the world – let’s make a film’” said Beaumont. “I now know how incredibly lucky I was – millions of people watched the programme shown on the BBC and it was a success.”

Because his endeavours have resulted in the publication of a successful book and a BBC series, with plans for his current adventure to be broadcast on the BBC later this year, you could be forgiven for thinking that success has come easily for the flamboyant Scot.

Yet anyone who has ever attempted a long distance cycle will realise just how physically and mentally demanding the challenge can be; and will understand how difficult it is to summon the motivation to return to the saddle after a punishing 12 hour stint; and how demoralising it can be when the elements conspire against you.

“I’m out here (America’s) alone for 9 months. When I cycled the world I was out there for 6 and a half” said Mark. “There are weeks when the going is tough. Recently in the Chilean desert and in Peru I was fighting these incredible head-winds on big, lonely stretches of road and it’s not like I’m just riding 100 miles on a road bike – I’m fully laden with 20 or 30 kilos of gear on top of the weight of the bike”“You’re continually pushing yourself mentally but I have experience. I’ve been in tough moments before and I know that for every tough day, further down the road there’s going to be moments you remember for the rest of your life”

“On this trip I went through some really bad weather during the monsoon period – I was getting drenched every day and as I cycled into Panama I took a day off the bike and went into the rainforest. I had howler monkeys crawling all over me and I spent the night sleeping in the rainforest in a hammock and all those days of struggle on the bike were absolutely worth it for this money can’t buy experience – it was unbelievable, with things that that you just pinch yourself and realise how lucky you are” he said.

Such experiences are at the heart of what drives us all to dream. The possibility of living these experiences, which would normally be outside our realm of possibility, cause the spirit of adventure to swell within our chests. And if you think such adventure is beyond you, the advice is simple but surprising.

“Anyone can do this. Anyone can cycle the length of Britain, progress to Europe and then the wider world. Get a bike, get the gear and just enjoy the experience. People see the programme on the BBC and all the shiny stuff behind it – it’s not that hard to go from never having done something like this to actually doing it. Lots of people may find it crazy, but when you’ve built up gradually like I have over the years then it doesn’t seem quite so crazy” said Beaumont. “It’s no good going hard for 5 hours and not being able to move the next day or get back on the bike – you have to go day in day out. Finding that natural pace, which we’ve all got, is key.”

“It’s also important that you figure out what’s a real issue – what’s actually an injury and what’s just a bit of saddle soreness or discomfort from the fact that you’ve ridden hard the day before.”

Now with just over 1000 miles to go until he finishes his America’s adventure, Beaumont is looking forward to returning to the UK to see his friends and family after almost a year on the bike. However, the natural adventurer in him still appears to be searching for a new quest.

“As soon as I get back I’m doing a 38 date speech tour in the UK. That’ll take me up to the summer and then I’ll start planning the next expedition – what that is I don’t know yet, but there are plans in the pipeline.”

For more information and to follow Mark as he completes the final 1000 miles of his America’s journey visit bbc.co.uk/cyclingtheamericas

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