British adventurer (and accomplished knife-thrower) Laura Bingham spent six months cycling 7000km across South America without money to not only test the limits of her mental and physical endurance, but also to test the kindness of strangers of whom she’d be replying upon for food and shelter. An enormous, daunting challenge which took Laura through the Amazon jungle, the desert, over the Andes (3 times!) and across the spectacular Bolivian salt-flats. As with all awesome adventures, Laura’s challenge was fraught with difficulty and even disappointment, but did she quit? Nope! Learn how and why, listen now:

Topics Discussed:

• Laura’s adventurous roots & why she wanted to pursue a career in travelling.
• Sailing from Mexico to England with two strangers & a cat.
• Why Laura wanted to cycle across South America without money.
• Why Laura partnered with Operation South America.
• How Laura prepared for her 7000km cycle.
• How she disregarded others’ doubts.
• The benefits of Bikram Yoga.
• Why she wanted to cycle alone & how she dealt with the frustration of not being able to.
• Difficulties faced when asking strangers for help & overcoming disappointment.
• The trauma of Ecuador versus the generosity of Paraguay!
• How she fuelled her body for the 7000km journey.
• The difficulty of parting with her guide.
• Why she wants to empower woman to undertake adventures independently.
• What the six-month adventure taught her & what’s next.
• Being married to fellow adventurer, Ed Stafford.