Italian English teacher Juliana Buhring has become the world’s first woman to cycle around the globe. She traveled through 18 countries, covering a total distance of 29,000 kilometers over 152 days.
She reportedly set off from Naples, Italy, on July 23, when almost no one believed she could complete a solo global bike trip. But on December 22, the 32-year-old triumphantly returned to Naples’ Piazza del Plebiscito and was given a hero’s welcome. Her round-the-world journey lasted 152 days, took her through 18 countries across four continents, and included battling illness in India, dogs in Turkey, and birds in Australia.
The final leg of Buhring’s trip was especially grueling, as Italy had just been hit by heavy snowfall with temperatures dropping to minus 9 degrees Celsius. But accompanied by over 100 cycling enthusiasts, Buhring eventually made it back to Naples. Buhring attempted to set a new world record as the first woman to cycle around the world. She is now awaiting verification from the Guinness World Records. According to the rules, she had to ride in one direction around the circumference of the Earth — 40,000 kilometers (with at least 29,000 kilometers cycled, excluding sea and air travel) — and begin and end in the same place.
It is reported that Buhring had no commercial sponsorship and only a small amount of savings. Her coach was an Italian sports scientist specializing in competitive cycling, and later she received funding from actress Maria Grazia Cucinotta. Buhring’s global cycling journey aimed to raise funds for the charity “Safe Passage Foundation,” which helps children and young people who have been involved in cults.