Cyclist aiming to set Guiness record, for African Angels
new Guiness World Record by becoming the fastest female cyclist to circumnavigate the
globe Picture: SUPPLIED
East London businesswoman Cristin Flynn has a monumental goal ahead of her as she seeks to become the fastest woman to circumnavigate the globe by bicycle . “It’s been a lifelong dream and I want to create a platform to address topics that are really
close to my heart. “As a degreed writer and speaker, I wish to be taken seriously when I speak about topics that I feel need to be addressed, and in a sea of voices, one has to do something truly unique to rise above the rest,” Flynn said.
Though she was born in Bloemfontein, Flynn went to school in East London, with
sports having always played a big role in her life. “I’ve run several ultra marathons including Comrades, multiple stage races, done mountain biking, road biking, triathlon, adventure racing, biathlon and water polo.” She will be cycling through Germany, Poland, Belarus and Russia to Vladivostok, and will cover a distance of 12,500km.
Flynn will then fly from Vladivostok to Perth and cycle across Australia to Sydney, covering 4,200km. Flynn will be doing the cycle in honour of Cintsa-based school, African Angels.
“Education is so important to me, I am obsessed with educating myself and have over
the years accumulated many qualifications.
“If I’m not busy with a formal qualification or specialisation then I am reading and learning
new skills informally.
“What Lou Billet is doing with the kids at African Angel’s is nothing short of miraculous and I want to support her as much as I can,” she said.
Flynn said she wanted to demonstrate to her children that nothing they dreamt of achieving was impossible. “For decades, I pursued financial gains so that one day I could possibly live and take on some of the wonderful adventures I so desired to do, but I found myself at nearly 40 having barely lived, and only really surviving.
“So I decided that there must be a way to do both and I am determined to demonstrate that this is possible,” Flynn said.
She touched on issues such as the empowerment of women and sustainability and care for the environment. “It’s madness that there are still people out there who don’t have access to running water or toilets.
“I’ve spent time in the offices of premiers and I have sat in the gutters with the poorest of the poor – something can and must be done.” Flynn said she recently had the opportunity to sit down with some gang members in Cape Town.
“For them it boiled down to the fact that it was a culture they were born into and that they
didn’t know anything but this way or life, neither did they see any viable alternatives.
“None of them had access to an education when they were younger and they often went to
bed starving. “I’m not sticking up for them or saying that it is excusable what they are doing and have done, but I do think we need to start listening very closely and having these hard conversations instead of building higher walls and employing more armed
guards,” Flynn said.
Flynn is in the process of publishing two books which she will be releasing soon. To donate to Flynn’s record attempt, or find out more, visit
www.cristinflynn.com or email info@cristinflynn.com.
