Donnie Campbell's smashing of Glasgow-Cape Wrath mountain bike record is an inspiration – Scotsman comment

The previous record for cycling the 354 miles of the An Turas Mor mountain bike route from Glasgow to Cape Wrath was perfectly respectable at a little over three days.

Endurance athlete Donnie Campbell at Cape Wrath lighthouse, after smashing the record for the An Turas Mor mountain bike route from Glasgow

Donnie Campbell left Glasgow on Saturday morning and arrived at the Cape shortly before 3pm on Sunday, just 33 hours and 31 minutes later, obliterating the record.

It is a feat made all the more remarkable by the description of the route on its website: "​The trail passes through wild mountainous landscapes and crosses numerous mountain passes… [it is] a painstaking test of endurance based on the sheer scale of the route with 56,000 feet of elevation gain and loss.” Mount Everest is 29,032 feet.

Meanwhile, water safety campaigner Brendon Prince has become the first person to paddleboard from Lands End to John O’Groats, a journey that involved up to 16 hours a day on the water for 65 days. And he is continuing with his plan to circumnavigate mainland Britain to raise money to help promote water safety.

Such exploits can seem utterly unachievable to many people. Some cynics even dismiss those who push the boundaries of physical fitness.

However, one reason why they will always be worthy of comment is that they can inspire us to achieve our own goals. We may not row across the Atlantic or trek unsupported to the South Pole, but we can take on our own personal Everest, even if it is just getting off the couch and going for a walk in the park.

Elite athletes and hardy adventurers are an inspiration. We just need to let ourselves be inspired.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.