Alastair Humphreys
Encyclopedia
Alastair Humphreys, an English
cyclist, adventurer, author
and motivational speaker
, was born in 1977. Having completed a four-year bicycle
journey around the world
, he is currently preparing for SOUTH, the first unsupported return journey on foot to the South Pole
.
Humphreys began his epic journey in August 2001 from his Yorkshire
, England home. Passing south through Europe
and Africa
, he crossed to South America
by sea from Cape Town
and proceeded up the west coast of the Americas, crossed from Alaska
to Magadan
in Russia
, Japan
then westward across China
and Central Asia
to return to Europe. His journey included raising funds and awareness for a charity called Hope and Homes for Children
. He arrived home in November 2005, having ridden 46,000 miles over four years and three months. He has written three books about his experiences entitled Moods of Future Joys, Ten Lessons from the Road and Thunder and Sunshine. Alastair currently works as a motivational speaker.
In 2008, he competed in the gruelling Marathon des Sables
, a 150-mile run across the Sahara desert, breaking his foot during the race but still completing the event. Alastair narrowly missed out on a top-100 finish. In February 2009, Alastair rowed across the English Channel with Major Phil Packer
to raise £1million for Help for Heroes. In 2009, Humphreys walked across India. In 2010 he walked and Packrafted across Iceland.
Humphreys and Ben Saunders are planning the first unsupported return journey to the South Pole
and the longest unsupported polar
journey
in history.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
cyclist, adventurer, author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and motivational speaker
Motivational speaker
A motivational speaker or inspirational speaker is a speaker who makes speeches intended to motivate or inspire an audience. In a business context, they are employed to communicate company strategy with clarity and help employees to see the future in a positive light and inspire workers to pull...
, was born in 1977. Having completed a four-year bicycle
Bicycle
A bicycle, also known as a bike, pushbike or cycle, is a human-powered, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, having two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A person who rides a bicycle is called a cyclist, or bicyclist....
journey around the world
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, he is currently preparing for SOUTH, the first unsupported return journey on foot to the South Pole
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
.
Humphreys began his epic journey in August 2001 from his Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
, England home. Passing south through Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, he crossed to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
by sea from Cape Town
Cape Town
Cape Town is the second-most populous city in South Africa, and the provincial capital and primate city of the Western Cape. As the seat of the National Parliament, it is also the legislative capital of the country. It forms part of the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality...
and proceeded up the west coast of the Americas, crossed from Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
to Magadan
Magadan
Magadan is a port town on the Sea of Okhotsk and gateway to the Kolyma region. It is the administrative center of Magadan Oblast , in the Russian Far East. Founded in 1929 on the site of an earlier settlement from the 1920s, it was granted the status of town in 1939...
in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
then westward across China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Central Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
to return to Europe. His journey included raising funds and awareness for a charity called Hope and Homes for Children
Hope and Homes for Children
Hope and Homes for Children is a British registered charity working with children, their families and communities across 10 countries in Eastern Europe and Africa. to help children grow up in safe and productive environments...
. He arrived home in November 2005, having ridden 46,000 miles over four years and three months. He has written three books about his experiences entitled Moods of Future Joys, Ten Lessons from the Road and Thunder and Sunshine. Alastair currently works as a motivational speaker.
In 2008, he competed in the gruelling Marathon des Sables
Marathon des Sables
The Marathon des Sables is a six-day, ultramarathon, which is the equivalent of six regular marathons. The longest single stage is long....
, a 150-mile run across the Sahara desert, breaking his foot during the race but still completing the event. Alastair narrowly missed out on a top-100 finish. In February 2009, Alastair rowed across the English Channel with Major Phil Packer
Phil Packer
Phil Packer, MBE is a former British Provost Officer who suffered severe spinal cord injuries whilst on active service in February 2008. Despite being told at the time that he would never walk again, he has since undertaken a number of physical challenges for charity, including walking the London...
to raise £1million for Help for Heroes. In 2009, Humphreys walked across India. In 2010 he walked and Packrafted across Iceland.
Humphreys and Ben Saunders are planning the first unsupported return journey to the South Pole
South Pole
The South Pole, also known as the Geographic South Pole or Terrestrial South Pole, is one of the two points where the Earth's axis of rotation intersects its surface. It is the southernmost point on the surface of the Earth and lies on the opposite side of the Earth from the North Pole...
and the longest unsupported polar
Polar region
Earth's polar regions are the areas of the globe surrounding the poles also known as frigid zones. The North Pole and South Pole being the centers, these regions are dominated by the polar ice caps, resting respectively on the Arctic Ocean and the continent of Antarctica...
journey
Quest
In mythology and literature, a quest, a journey towards a goal, serves as a plot device and as a symbol. Quests appear in the folklore of every nation and also figure prominently in non-national cultures. In literature, the objects of quests require great exertion on the part of the hero, and...
in history.