Vedangi aims to smash global cycle speed record

Berhampur: Vedangi Kulkarni (25), a Guinness World Record holder of being the fastest woman to cycle from Manali to Leh, aims to smash the world record on a solo world tour.

Vedangi, a footballer-turned-cyclist from Pune, will cover a distance of 29,251 km. She is on a quest to become the fastest woman to circumnavigate the world on a bicycle to cover this distance in just 110 days. To achieve this, she has to cycle 270 km to 300 km every day.

Jenny Graham (37) from Scotland is presently the fastest woman in the world to cycle around the world in 124 days. She completed the 29,600-km journey in 124 days and pedalled through 15 countries. The previous record was 144 days.

Vedangi set out on her second circumnavigation trip around the world from INS Chilka on Monday. Commodore N P Pradeep, Commanding Officer of INS Chilka, flagged off her cycling journey. She will be completing this feat at picturesque Chilka lake on November 24.

Vedangi is all set to make history by cycling around the globe twice on cycle. During an interactive session, she shared her incredible journey, emphasising the importance of discipline and courage that resonates with the Agniveers. Her stories of resilience and perseverance were met with admiration and enthusiasm from the audience.

This momentous event marks the beginning of the epic adventure that will see her cycling through 19 countries. Vedangi, a seasoned cyclist, will travel through Mongolia, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Portugal, Spain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland and Oman during her journey. After reaching Oman, she will return to India through Gujarat and head to Kanyakumari. From there, she will cycle back to the INS Chilka where she began.

In 2023, when she set the Guinness World Record for being the fastest woman of Asia to cycle through the Manali-Leh highway, she became more focused on cycling. She decided to embark on an around-the-world expedition and felt it was time to have another go.

In 2019, Vedangi circumnavigated the world on a bicycle and finished the 29,000-km distance on Christmas eve in 159 days. She was the youngest woman to pull off the feat then. Yet, she felt that she could have been a lot faster now after doing yoga and meditation every day and also doing longer outdoor rides.

Initially, Vedangi planned to obtain an international coaching licence as a football goalkeeper and start a goalkeeper-specific training business in India. While in Pune, Vedangi played for Pune FC women’s team. She began cycling in 2015 and completed her first bike ride in 2016, cycling across the Himalayas at 17. In addition to cycling, she also completed an east-to-west crossing of Svalbard on skis.

Vedangi, who pursued a degree in sports management in the University of Bournemouth in the UK, is an inspiration for all to push their boundaries and pursue their dreams.