Co-Ordinating a Record breaking adventure Una Beaumont Interview

Una Beaumont can now add the title "Team Co-Ordinator to her CV, after managing her Son (Marks) Record breaking cycle around the globe. Dealing with embassies, managing logistics and making tough decision we're only some of the elements of her job.

Una has been good enough to take some time to talk to EnduranceSource about her experiences.

- What was your first reaction when Mark initially told you he was going to try and break the WR for cycling around the world?
 
Similar to when Mark said he wanted to cycle John O'Groats to Lands End in the record time for this age at the age of 15 - I knew plenty of people cycled the world, but going for the record time would put him under mental and physical strain and be very demanding. However, I also knew how far he was from the start line in terms of the huge amount of research, planning training, sponsors, equipment, support etc that would have to be put in place - that in itself would be a challenge for him and test his plan. Finally, I knew that Mark would not have got to this stage of telling the family, if he had not seriously looked into the record and assessed it was achieveable - I knew, as in the passed, he was already living the journey in his mind and was excited to get his plans moving.

 
- Having to manage the mechanics and logistics of such a venture is no easy task. Can you tell us a little bit of what was involved in your role?

After taking Mark to Paris and shadowing him for the first three days, I drove home from the Dutch/German border with Mark's laptop which had all sorts of information that he said I would need. It really all started then with a steep learning curve in how to use a computer!

Leg 1 was supposed to be straight forward warm up for Mark but proved to be testing with several punctures, broken spokes - which resulted in the rear wheel being rebuilt - not enough food to be found, sickness, serious hills and heat, and lastly the terrifying traffic in Istanbul. Then there was the realisation that the miles on the ground were not the same as the miles on the maps which had been used for projected distances and been submitted to Guinness World Records. So there was advice about the bike, medical advice, nutritional advice and statistics advice all required from a team I had to call on in these situations. Having taken advice I would make decisions or relay to Mark to talk over further.

However, with all this and much more going on Mark was still covering the miles and I getting in touch with each British Embassy of the seven countries in Leg 1 explaining what Mark was doing and asked them to be a point of contact if needed and if they would inform their border control of Mark's arrival so that he would be allowed through without any delay. This sounds straight forward, but took many days, phone calls and emails to get through to the right office at the right time - I was always dealing with different time zones - find the right person, explain Mark's race and importance of a clear passage and motivate them to take the necessary action. Everyone was very helpful in the end but it took time, patience and persistance.

These British Embassy contacts were even more important in Leg 2 through Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and India, as were others in those countries who have become good friends.

Gathering together replacement items to go out with the BBC on three occasions - everything form new tyres to ration packs, couriering out boxes to different locations in time for Mark's arrival, organising flights, finding people to meet Mark at the end of continents - have a bike box ready, perhaps a bed for the night, a big vegetarian meal, a shower, empty washing machine and take him to the airport. Then people to meet him off planes and help him get on the road asap. Organising bike service in Perth Australia - with a special hub and particular tyres, I had to track down a shop who had experience of the hub then have right parts and tyres flown from Eastern Australia.

Every day I wrote a blog from sketchy notes taken from calls and texts from Mark. Any time I left Base Camp I took my notes, contacts and maps as I never knew when Mark or someone else from around the world would phone with a question. I did as much research and paved the way as much as I could before each Leg started. While Mark was approaching Brisbane, he was 10 hours ahead of GMT, but I was also setting up contacts for Leg 5 in New Zealand which was 13 hours ahead. But as New Zealand would only take 9 days I was also setting up Leg 6 in the USA which was 8 hours behind - tricky!

 
- Finally, what was it like to see Mark approaching the finish line in Paris?

Incredible and very emotional - even now when I picture it and think about it I can relive these emotions in an instant. Having had my logistics hat on for 194 day 17 hours, the very moment I saw him appear round the Arc de Triomphe I forgot about the finish line, including the red tape I had organised two of Mark's university friends to hold across for him to cycle through, and was once again 100% Mum and ran out for a Big Hug! I knew how tough the last leg had been from Lisbon with serious unexpected climbs and that last day he woke up with nothing in the tank - he'd cycled 220km the day before finishing at 10pm in order to he arrive in Paris mid afternoon on the Friday. There was freezing fog and still 123km to Paris with yet more hills.... I really felt for him.

Although I had been in touch daily, apart from a stretch in Pakistan and Australia, and had seen a lot of him on film which had been sent home from time to time, actually seeing him appear with the police outriders is an amazing memory of a goal acheived and dream come true for Mark. This together with relief and gratitude that he and his amazing bike were home safe and sound and they could both finally have a well earned rest!

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