Vedangi Kulkarni: Around the world on a cycle

At 20, she has set an enviable record of being the fastest Asian to cycle the globe

Vedangi-Kulkarni-1 Vedangi Kulkarni at the Chilka Lake

At 20, Vedangi Kulkarni has set an enviable record of being the fastest Asian to cycle the globe. Starting from Perth in Australia in July 2017, she cycled around the world, weathering rapidly changing topographies and rough conditions, to cover a total of 29,000km in order to qualify as bicycling across the globe.

Every day, for 159 days, she would paddle 300km for almost 16 hours, beginning at 4.30am with a break in between every four hours of non-stop cycling. Her journey across 14 countries has been one of adventure and solitude, in equal measure. "It has been a journey of self-reflection and introspection. I had seen quite a bit of the world in the company of my parents, but this journey was my own undertaking and I knew I had to do it all alone. It unravelled my own self before me," she says, seated comfortably on a folded peach-coloured mattress in a black tee and cargos, inside the cosy and aesthetically designed apartment of her mentor and cyclist, Sumit Patil in Mumbai's Prabhadevi.

Interestingly, for Kulkarni, a native of Pune and presently a third year sports management student at the University of Bournemoth in the UK, cycling was never on the radar. In fact she had always been a "fantastic footballer", who made a name for herself in several school and college competitions and dreamt of launching her own goalkeeping academy one day.

It was on her solo bicycling trip across the Himalayas three years ago at 17, that she discovered the pleasures of bicycling and was instantly hooked. "There was absolutely no holding me back. I was in love with the bicycle and very soon, I decided to embark on this journey." Many of her peers tried talking her out of it, suggesting that she should wait some more years before taking up such a challenging and uphill task, but Kulkarni had made up her mind and that was that. "I was firm on my decision, unheard the naysayers and decided to prepare for it in all earnestness." Training was all about increasing capacity and building stamina. The expedition, which was mainly funded by her parents, had Kulkarni cycle across Australia, through the outback to reach Brisbane from where she flew over to Wellington in New Zealand, and cycled the entire country north to south.

Vedangi-Kulkarni-cycle Kulkarni's 'companion' on her thrilling journey

Then she flew to Vancouver in west Canada from where she continued her eastward journey till Halifax, a port city. She then moved on to chilly Iceland where she cycled in icy cold temperatures, followed by Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and Finland whereupon she entered Russia. Vedangi would halt at gas stations for a quick snack and a hydrating drink, some rest and if time permitted, short naps by the roadside, inside a foldable makeshift tent, which she would carry with herself at all times. Her luggage comprised of cycle tools, camping equipment and essential clothing. "Food was almost always at the gas stations."

She narrates her experiences—some harrowing, others incredibly funny. In Canada, she got chased by a grizzly bear who came charging at her "like a maniac", while in Spain, she got robbed at knife-point, which came as a rude shock. She also used her "street-smartness", to navigate the cold and intimidating border security forces in different countries, especially in Russia. "So, in Russia, after I had crossed three checkpoints already, I was once asked to pay money in order to cross the last checkpoint. I obviously did not want to pay and so I faked a call to an authority, and they let me go," she says laughing.

Never did she, or her parents, who, she says were her "pillars of strength and positivity throughout", did ever contemplate quitting. "My parents gave me full support—both mentally and financially to explore the world. They were always strong when the going got tough and never let me feel low or worn out by unpleasant experiences,” she says.