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.”
Here’s an image from our successful Greenland training run with Tangent Expeditions. More to come soon. @vonplanta pic.twitter.com/ZVO7cHaPkP
— Kate Leeming (@leeming_kate) May 15, 2016
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.”
https://t.co/aVwf7zwk1S The blizzard has set in. Can’t wait to get going, but the weather is the boss. @vonplanta @CharityMiles @IMBIKEMAG
— Kate Leeming (@leeming_kate) May 2, 2016
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.

9 thoughts on “Woman prepares for Antarctica cycling record”
Quote:
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.
Can I make a joke about women
Can I make a joke about women being useless at navigation ?
North/South Pole – does it matter ?
Good luck to the explorer.
Everyone’s doing epic rides
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
Good luck to her. But, my
Good luck to her. But, my word! The noise off that thing. It sounds like a coffee grinder.
Several people have cycled to
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
In this article:
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?
Zzzzzzzzz. I know it’s meant
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.
Wolfie – I agree – apart from
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.
Didn’t they do this on Blue
Didn’t they do this on Blue Peter?