Kate Strong, 44, holds three cycling world records and a triathlon championship, but hopes her 90-day challenge has a focus on “connection”.
Ms Strong, who works part-time as head of impact for Climategames and is a performance and impact coach, will set off from Westminster on June 5, cycling to Norwich for her first official stop before travelling to places including Edinburgh, John O’Groats, Glasgow and Liverpool.
She then plans to cycle along the coast of Wales, through Cardiff and Bristol, before reaching Land’s End in Cornwall, and will then head back to London to complete the feat on September 2.
“It’s been three years in the making,” Ms Strong, who is based in London, told the PA news agency.
“I’ve never cycled more than five days in a row, so I’ve got 90 days in a row.
“Apart from the physical wear and tear, just mentally I’m unsure how I’ll feel, and that’s why I’ve opened the route up for people to come and join me.”
Ms Strong was inspired to complete the challenge because she said the climate crisis needs to be dealt with in an “immediate” way.
“I’m not a scientist, and this is just my opinion, but we need immediate action, we need urgent action,” she said.
“And we’ve got the micro level of the individual, which is important, but the biggest change is from the Government.
“We need massive action, but on an individual level, and then pass it on to the Government and the macro to make sure the framework that we work within supports the bigger picture as well”
“There’s no rush, I don’t need to be doing this like a race, and I brought it to home.
“I thought, let’s keep it at 3,000 miles, let’s explore Britain, let’s slow it down, and use sport as a way of connecting, not competing.”
Ms Strong said that although she is to take camping gear with her, she will also be “relying on strangers with a spare room”.
“By camping, it’s a way of saying we need to get more out in nature and get curious about it and start protecting it, otherwise we won’t care.
“If the weather is super wet, that’s when I will start knocking on strangers’ doors, going ‘do you have a spare room?’, or ‘could I sleep in your shed?’ – just something to soften the misery a little bit.”
Information on Ms Strong’s plans and for details on how to join her along the route, virtually or in person, can be found on her website: https://katestrong.global/join-me-in-person-virtually/
