EXTREME TRAVELLERS

What inspires women to embark on the most challenging journeys? We talk to three epic adventurers

- 

‘We broke the world record’ Raz Marsden, 55, is a motor neurone disease nurse consultant from Oxford. In June 2019, she started a round-the-world trip on a tandem bicycle with Cat Dixon, 54, a CEO from Yorkshire. Crossing the border from Myanmar to Thailand, it was nearly midnight, we’d run out of water and couldn’t find anywhere to stay. Cat was not well, I felt sick, we’d had seven punctures over the past two days and now a slow puncture was threatening our back wheel. Alone,

moments like this would have been completely overwhelming, but on a tandem bike, you’re never alone. We were often hungry, exhausted and grumpy, but because we had each other, every day was filled with laughter.

BEATING THE MEN

Cat and I met on a charity bike ride from London to Paris five years ago. Both avid cyclists, she told me she dreamt of cycling around the world and I thought that sounded fun. We decided to try to beat the world record for circumnavigating the globe on a tandem bike, a record previously held by two men.