Kimberly Coats is the CEO of Team Africa Rising, a nonprofit organization that promotes and supports cycling development in Africa. Kimberly has over 12 years of experience creating and managing innovative and impactful programs that empower African cyclists and foster a culture of excellence and inclusion. She is also a certified USA Cycling Coach Level 2, passionate about coaching and mentoring young and aspiring riders.

Her mission is to be a global voice and advocate for African cycling, especially for women who face many barriers and challenges in accessing and advancing in the sport. She has established solid partnerships and collaborations with cycling federations, governments, NGOs, sponsors, and media outlets across the continent and beyond to raise awareness, generate funding, and create opportunities for African cyclists. Kimberly is proud to have contributed to Rwanda becoming the first African country to host the UCI World Road Cycling Championships in 2025 and to have produced numerous African Olympic cyclists and professional riders.

She was also the 2022 BikeBiz Woman of the Year.

You can find out more about Africa Rising here: www.teamafricarising.org

To support the podcast please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.

To find out more about host George Balarezo's adventures, you can find the book Unhinged in Ethiopia: Two Thousand Kilometers of Hell and Heaven on a Bicycle at the following link- https://intrepidglobalcitizen.com/

Contact me at george@intrepidglobalcitizen.com and let me know your thoughts and feelings about the podcast or if you have a story you'd like to share. 

Explorers Kristen and Ville Jokinen met and fell in love while scuba diving in Vietnam. Ville then left his native Finland to join Kristen in Oregon and together they embarked on a life-changing two-year cycling adventure covering 18,000 miles from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to Ushuaia, Argentina. Despite never having cycled further than around the block, they persevered unrelenting, punishing rain and wind, altitude sickness, dog attacks, bike accidents, and countless flat tires to cycle between the ends of the earth.

Kristen and Ville believe that kindness connects us to our shared humanity. They held babies, attended quinceañeras, drank pulque, played soccer, and visited schools. People in Mexico, Central America, and South America invited them into their hearts and homes, allowed them to camp in their fields and farms, and acted as personal tour guides. Kristen and Ville are love on wheels, and who doesn’t need a little more love in their lives?

You can find their book on their website here: www.welostthemap.com

Follow them on social media here: @welostthemap

Enjoy the conversation. Be bold. Be intrepid.

To support the podcast please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.

To find out more about host George Balarezo's adventures, you can find the book Unhinged in Ethiopia: Two Thousand Kilometers of Hell and Heaven on a Bicycle at the following link- https://intrepidglobalcitizen.com/

Contact me at george@intrepidglobalcitizen.com and let me know your thoughts and feelings about the podcast or if you have a story you'd like to share. 

In this episode we speak with Laura Massey-Pugh, one half of the team that recently set a Guinness World Record by cycling 18,000 miles on a tandem bicycle in 179 days and 12 hours.  

Stevie (Steven Massey) is a very experienced ultra-distance cyclist, completing his first 100+ mile ride at the ripe age of 11. In his racing days, he achieved 4th in the National 24 hour time trial championships (725km in 24 hours) and has finished London-Edinburgh-London, and Paris-Brest-Paris in the top 5%.  He has and unofficial record of riding the length of the UK and back again (~2000 miles) unsupported in 9.5 days and has cycled over 250,000 miles in his lifetime, over half the distance to the moon. He was an accomplished tandem rider when he met Laura and encouraged her to take the stoker seat on his tandem.

Laura (Laura Massey-Pugh) has ridden bicycles since a young age, commuting to school and work. Before she met Stevie, she had completed a 100 mile ride but it was he that introduced her to the world of ultra-distance cycling. She has completed Super Randonneur series (a 200km, 300km, 400km and 600km events) both on solo bicycle and tandem.  She rides “stoker” on the tandem and despite popular opinion does not “have her feet up on the back” but is able to assist with navigation and nutrition as well as providing a rear-wheel drive function.  She likes to mix her challenges up and prior to the record had trial run "coast to coast" of the UK and after completed an "Iron-distance" triathalon.

Together as SteLa Tandem some of their achievements include completing the 1000km Mille Pennines Audax, Land’s End to John O’Groats self supported on the tandem in 10 days and an epic 850 miles ride around the country of Wales in 8 days. They are the only tandem to finish  All Points North, an ultra-cycling event.

This all lead to their record breaking tandem ride around the world, covering over 18,000 miles in 180 days, self-supported on their tandem bicycle.

Their book "Backseat Rider" is available on their website here:  http://www.stelatandem.com 

You can find their YouTube channel (including podcasts) here:

https://www.youtube.com/@stelatandem2702

You can follow them on social media here:

Twitter @SteLaTandem

Instagram @SteLa_Tandem

Facebook @SteLa Tandem Round the World Record

Enjoy the conversation. Be bold. Be intrepid.

To support the podcast please leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app.

To find out more about host George Balarezo's adventures, you can find the book Unhinged in Ethiopia: Two Thousand Kilometers of Hell and Heaven on a Bicycle at the following link- https://intrepidglobalcitizen.com/

Contact me at george@intrepidglobalcitizen.com and let me know your thoughts and feelings about the podcast or if you have a story you'd like to share.