A 57-year-old Briton could earn new world records after finishing a coast-to-coast journey across Australia on a non-electric kick scooter. Bob Brown set off in July from Perth and reached Sydney on Monday, completing roughly 2,800 miles, listed as 4506km in reports.
Brown stated he intended to challenge two Guinness World Records, aiming to be the fastest person to cross the country on a kick scooter and to become the first to traverse the route by three different methods, running, cycling and scootering. He has submitted documentation to Guinness and must now wait for the organisation to rule on his claims.
The Saltash, Cornwall resident has a history with the route. In 2001 he became the first Briton to run across the country, covering 3,000 miles, recorded as 4828.032km, in 60 days. He then cycled the route in 2003, which made him the first person to have both run and cycled across Australia.
Brown framed the newest expedition as a late-career challenge, saying, "after a lifetime packed with adventure, at 57-years-old I wanted another epic adventure before I got too old." He also tied the trip to fundraising and advocacy, hoping to raise £5,000 for MacMillan Cancer Support, St Luke's Hospice and Children's Hospice South West, and to encourage youngsters to seek outdoor adventure.
The trip included at least two notable incidents. On day five a passing vehicle clipped his wing mirror, forcing him to skid onto the hard shoulder, an event he described as leaving him "relatively unscathed." On the final day, with about 20km remaining, he suffered a serious fall when his handlebars broke while descending a steep hill.
Despite those setbacks Brown recorded a finish time of 31 days, four hours and 10 minutes. The outcome for his record attempts now depends on Guinness World Records' verification of his submitted evidence, which will determine whether his scooter crossing joins his earlier run and cycle achievements.
