20 January 2009

'The Man Who Cycled The World' - public lecture 29/1/09

Mark Beaumont, the Scots cyclist who completed the fastest circumnavigation of the globe, will give a fundraising lecture at the University of Dundee later this month to help support a group of students and staff hoping to set off on an adventure of their own.

The, titled 'The Man Who Cycled The World', takes place at the Dalhouse Building on Thursday January 29th at 7pm. It is one of a range of activities being staged to raise funds for a rainforest conservation trip for Zoology students at the University.

'We are absolutely delighted that Mark is supporting the students’ efforts and coming to give a talk on his amazing adventures around the world,' said Dr Stephen Hubbard, Reader in Zoology in the Division of Plant Sciences at the University and expedition leader for the rainforest trip.

'His story is a truly inspiring one and this is a great opportunity to hear first-hand how he did it.'

At the age of 12, Mark Beaumont cycled across Scotland from Dundee to Oban, but only after his mother persuaded him that Land's End to John O' Groats was a long way!

However, aged 15 he tackled the 1038 miles from John O’Groats to Lands End and completed his first solo ride which raised £3,000 for Charity.

After graduating from Glasgow University with a degree in Economics and Politics, Mark decided to follow his dream and spent a year planning and training to become the fastest person to cycle round the world.

On Friday 15th February, 2008, he completed his 18,000 miles circumnavigation of the globe by bicycle and arrived back at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris 194 days and 17 hours after leaving on 5th August 2007. The total distance cycled was 18,297 miles, through 20 countries. Guinness World Records have verified all the data and confirmed Mark as the new Guinness World Record holder by a margin of 81 days.

The talk will last for around an hour and Mark will be available to answer some questions after the talk. Tickets are priced at £5 per person and wine and cheese will be provided. All proceeds go the students’ fundraising campaign.

The Dundee students and staff are planning to head to Trinidad this summer to join key environmental projects taking place in the Caribbean, including the reintroduction of the Blue and Gold Macaw to the rainforest there.

A group from Dundee made a similar trip last year and are hoping to build on the good work carried out then, when they linked up with the Trinidad and Tobago Zoological Society on some of their ongoing conservation projects, including the reintroduction of the Blue and Gold Macaw.

Tickets for the Mark Beaumont lecture are available by contacting Dr Hubbard at s.f.hubbard@dundee.ac.uk or calling 07814 562476.

NOTES TO EDITORS
For photos and further information on Mark Beaumont go to www.pedallingaround.com/.

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk